A mother and her son were R”L killed after a fire broke out in their Paris apartment last week, but the bodies were first released for burial by local authorities on Wednesday. The bodies are expected to arrive in Eretz Yisrael for Kvura sometime on Thursday, 12 Tammuz.

The shocking incident took place last week, June 26, when the father of the family was not at home, as he was hospitalized as a result of a disease he is being treated for.

Speaking with Chadrei Chadarim, Menachem Peretz, a volunteer with Zaka International and member of the chevra kadisha in France explained “The bodies of Medi Zarbiv and her son Lionel Michael Zarbiv will be transferred to Israel Thursday for burial in the Ariel cemetery on Friday morning.”

He confirms the fire was caused by a short circuit, explaining that they did not get out and R”L suffocated to death. Police took several days until the bodies were released for kvura, waiting to determine if the fire was terror-related. The area where they live is also home to many Muslim immigrants, and this is why police insisted on ruling out terrorism.

Zaka was directly involved in having the bodies released as soon as possible.

The mother has one daughter who lives in Beit El. It took police several days until they tracked her down and notified her of the tragedy. Menachem Peretz adds that Rav Shlomo Aviner Shlita, Rav of Beit El, instructed the daughter to begin sitting shiva as soon as she received the bitter news and not to wait for the levaya.

Photo: Menachem Peretz in front of the Pathological Institute

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)