RAWALPINDI: A woman was killed while her daughter was burnt critically after getting trapped in fire at their house in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed on Wednesday.

“The incident occurred at about 4:45am when Mehwish, wife of Fahad Butt, went to the kitchen and showed a matchstick to the stove. It caused an explosion which was followed by fire.

“The woman was alone in the kitchen on the second floor of the house while her husband and children were on the third floor,” Inspector Jameel Bhatti, who is leading the investigation, told Dawn.

The explosion was heard miles away and shattered windows of nearby houses.

“There was a lot of panic in the area, however, the fire was brought under control by firefighters,” Bhatti said.

Mehwish, 25, suffered 75 per cent burns while two-year-old Maria sustained 25 per cent burns. The victims were shifted to Holy Family Hospital where the woman died.

The fire was caused by a gas leakage, however, Majid Iqbal, elder brother of the woman, accused the victim’s in-laws and husband of malicious intents.

Inspector Bhatti said the evidence collected from the scene and statements recorded by the police did not point towards a planned murder, as the incident was merely caused by ‘gas leak explosion’.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2014