THE burnt body of an elderly woman was found after her two-storey house near Taman Seri Baling, Baling caught fire at around midnight.

Baling district police chief Shamsudin Mamat said in a statement today that the victim was identified as Lim Phaik Luang @ Lim Pek Aiee, 82, and her body was found at 12.45am today.

He said the fire also razed another unoccupied double-storey house.

“The victim, a single mother who lived alone, is believed to have died after being trapped in the house during the fire,” he said.

“The investigating officer was informed by the firefighters that the house was 90% burnt. The distance between the houses was around five metres.”

Preliminary reports received by the firefighters indicated that a short circuit could have started the blaze.

“The fire is believed to have started at the victim’s house, which then spread to the other house,” Shamsudin said, adding that the victim’s body had been sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, a Kedah Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the department received a call about the fire at 11.53pm and a team arrived at the scene four minutes later.

“The fire was brought under control at 12.54am and the firefighting operations ended at 5.16am,” he said. – Bernama, April 23, 2023.