Investigations into the deadly fire in Taman Rathna, Telok Air Tawar, Butterworth on December 10 suggest that the blaze, which killed a woman and her adopted five-year-old daughter, may have been started by the victim’s son acting alone.
Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the police are in the final stages of preparing investigation papers to be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office for further action.
“Further investigations are ongoing, and we expect the papers to be completed soon. The motive behind the suspect’s actions remains unknown as he is still receiving treatment at the hospital,” Datuk Azizee said.
He added that evidence suggests criminal elements were involved, with reports from the Fire and Rescue Department detecting traces of petrol inside the house.
In the tragic incident, Hayani Yaakob, in her 50s, and her adopted daughter, Andra, were trapped inside the house and died in the fire, while Hayani’s son sustained injuries when part of the roof collapsed.
