Woman, daughter burnt to death in their sleep as house catches fire in Sambalpur

A woman and her daughter were burnt alive in their sleep after a massive fire broke out in their house in the Hatapada area under Maneswar police limits in Sambalpur district. The mother-daughter duo was asleep in their house when the incident occurred in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Though the exact cause of the fire in the house has yet to be ascertained, locals suspect it was caused by a short circuit or fire from some other source. On the other hand, police are looking into the role of any miscreant who might have set the house on fire as it was a double-storied building, and the mother-daughter duo was sleeping on the upper floor.

On being informed, Sadar SDPO and a police team rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. Firefighters battled for hours and finally doused the flames during the filing of this report.

A scientific team and dog squad are expected to visit the spot to ascertain the reason for the fire breakout. Sadar police seized the bodies and sent them for autopsy while a detailed probe into the incident has been launched.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s younger daughter Indrani Purohit brought serious allegations of murder over land and property dispute.

“I was having my dinner when I received a call. I asked my daughter-in-law to receive the call and was shocked to hear the news. I immediately rushed here but I was not allowed to see their bodies. I’m sure my mother and sister have been burnt alive by my brother for land and property,” alleged Indrani.