Elderly mother and visually impaired daughter perish in Gerik blaze

GERIK - No elements of crime has been found in the death of a senior citizen and her disabled daughter who were burnt to death in a fire at Kampung Air Tarung, Jalan Air Ganda, Gerik, yesterday.

Gerik district police chief Supt Zulkifli Mahmood said according to a witness, Mohamad Abd Latif, 84, who is also the husband and father of the victims, the fire had started in the kitchen of the hut situated in the orchard at about 4am.

"The father also tried to rescue the victims but failed before seeking help from local residents. Investigations at the scene also revealed that the cottage was far away from the main road and a red dirt track leads to the orchard," he said in a statement here.

Zulkifli said the autopsy was conducted at Gerik Hospital and confirmed that the cause of death of the two victims was due to burn injuries. The case has been classified as sudden death.

"Examination carried out on the bodies did not reveal any further injuries. The bodies of the victims were handed over to the family for burial," he said.

In the early morning incident, two victims - a 76-year-old female victim Rahmah Zainon, and her 43-year-old daughter, Razilawati Mohamad, who was visually impaired - who were found burnt to death in the hut in an orchard.

Mohamad Abd was also in the hut during the fire.

According to Rahmah's son, Saudin Mohamad, 37, the family had been travelling back and forth between their village in Kuala Ketil, Kedah, and the hut in the family's orchard that has been planted with durian and other fruits for more than 30 years.

The youngest of the eight siblings said the family had gathered at the hut only last week, but then the siblings returned to Kuala Ketil, except for his father, mother and sister, the sixth child, who decided to stay longer at the hut. - BERNAMA