New Delhi, March 15 A 65-year-old woman was found dead after a fire broke out in the bathroom on the roof of a house in the Badarpur area of southeast Delhi. Police suspect that the fire may have been caused when she lit a match to smoke a bidi. An officer said this on Sunday.
The incident took place in the Molarband area on Saturday evening. Officials said that a PCR call regarding a fire was received at the Badarpur police station.
Soon after receiving the information, police rushed to the spot and found that a fire had broken out in the bathroom on the roof of the house.
Police found the woman's charred body inside. She was later identified as Veenu Singh (65).
"The bathroom area contained wooden items and garbage that also caught fire during the incident," the officer said.
According to a preliminary inquiry, Singh used to smoke occasionally and would sometimes go to the secluded rooftop area to do so. Investigators suspect that the fire may have started accidentally while she was smoking in the enclosed space, leaving her trapped inside.
However, family members alleged that the blaze may have been caused due to a leak from a piped gas connection installed in the house about two months ago.
"She had gone upstairs and the bathroom was filled with gas due to the leak. None of us knew about it because there was no smell. She probably lit a match and that's how the fire started," the victim's daughter-in-law, Mamta Singh, said.
She said the victim sometimes smoked before having tea.
Another relative said the victim's family members rushed to the rooftop after hearing people shouting about the fire.
"We suddenly heard people shouting that there was a fire upstairs. Everyone ran up and saw that she had caught fire in the bathroom," the relative said, adding that Singh had suffered severe burn injuries.
Police said the district crime team was called to the spot and the scene was thoroughly examined. They said the victim's family members did not initially suspect any foul play and the death appears accidental at this stage. The body has been preserved at the AIIMS mortuary for post-mortem.
The deceased is survived by three sons, police added.