Police arrest a man, the son of a victim, for suspected murder in a Butterworth house fire that killed a woman and her five-year-old adopted daughter.
BUTTERWORTH: Police have detained a man who survived a deadly house fire that killed a woman and her adopted child in Taman Rathna, Telok Air Tawar here.
Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the man in his 20s, who is the woman’s son, has been remanded for seven days until December 25 to assist investigations.
“Police investigation found that the blaze, which killed the two victims, had criminal elements,” he said when contacted.
Azizee stated that the man is currently receiving treatment at Seberang Jaya Hospital.
Further investigation is being conducted under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The bodies of the woman and child remain at the Forensic Unit of Kepala Batas Hospital.
They cannot be claimed yet as authorities await DNA testing for official confirmation.
In the December 10 blaze, Hayani Yaakob, in her 50s, and her five-year-old adopted daughter Andra were trapped and died.
Her son was injured when the roof collapsed during the incident.
The fire department received a call at 9.41 am on the day of the incident.
They found the two victims in the living room near the main door.
The son was found near the kitchen door before being taken to hospital for treatment.
