19-year-old girl dies following house fire in Kottawa

A teenager, who was alone in a house down Rukmalgama Temple road in Kottawa, has died under suspicious circumstances after her body caught fire, according to the Kottawa Police.

Police stated that her body was completely burned and that damage had also occurred to the belongings of the house and the roof.

The incident happened while the young woman’s mother and two siblings had gone out to partake in Vesak festivities, leaving her alone at home, according to Police.

Officers of the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Fire Brigade and area residents arrived and took steps to extinguish the fire, but by that time, the young woman had already lost her life.

The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, and officers from the Nugegoda Crimes Division are conducting further investigations into the incident.