A mother and her teenage daughter have been killed in a suspected arson attack at a two-storey residence in Maharagama, police said.
The victims were identified as a 55-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter, who were residing on a rental basis at a house located on the Second Lane of Eksath Subasadaka Mawatha, Pamunuwa Road.
Two male individuals, the girl’s father and the 76-year-old owner of the house have sustained severe burn injuries in the incident and have been admitted to hospital for treatment.
The fire had reportedly broken out yesterday (18), after which neighbors quickly intervened to extinguish the flames and rushed the injured men to hospital.
During a subsequent inspection of the house, the bodies of the mother and daughter were discovered inside a room.
Police stated that a strong smell of petrol was detected at the scene, and initial investigations suggest that the fire was deliberately set, resulting in a double homicide.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown and Maharagama Police are conducting further investigations.
