Mysterious fire chars woman labourer to death

Vadodara: An unidentified woman labourer living under Harinagar flyover-bridge was charred to death in a mysterious fire at busy Harinagar crossroads in Gotri on Tuesday morning. The fire was sighted by locals living near the crossroads and they even tried to douse it when they saw the woman amid the flames.
When the fire broke out around 7.30 am, a local resident pulled out his garden’s pipeline and continuously sprinkled water. The woman howled in pain even as they were trying to douse the flames.
By the time the flames were doused, the woman had suffered severe burn injuries. She was rushed to SSG Hospital where she succumbed during treatment.
According to police, the fire was sparked mysteriously in the coir mattresses and garbage dumped near the woman. “The CCTV cameras of some establishments and shops are quite far from the spot and even the locals did not see anyone playing a mischief so we have asked the forensic experts to investigate the incident and ascertain the cause of fire,” said a police official.
The locals told cops that she had been lurking alone around the crossroads for past couple of days. Cops tried to find out if any of her relatives were around, but to no avail.
“We did not find anyone related to her so we will be keeping her body in the cold room for few days,” the police official said.
Meanwhile, local activist Swejal Vyas alleged that two persons had lit fire in the mattresses and garbage which led to the woman’s death. However, police said that they have not received any information from anyone including Vyas about it.