Man sets wife afire, himself; daughter sustains burns

The family was taken to hospital where the doctors declared the parents as brought dead while the girl was moved to the Kottayam Medical College and is in a critical situation, the police said.The exact reason behind the fire is being ascertained with the help of scientific experts who have collected evidence from the scene, they said.

A man set his wife ablaze and then himself in Puttady, Idukki district, in the wee hours of Monday apparently due to a family problem. As a result of them taking the extreme step, their teenage daughter sustained burns and is battling for life in a hospital while the parents are dead, police said.

A suicide note has been found from the house and the domestic problems appear to have driven the head of the family to take such a step, the police said.

Initially, police said they thought a fire had broken out in the house. Later, investigations carried out based on the suicide note revealed that the man had set his wife afire and then himself, said the police.

The incident occurred between 1 AM and 2.30 AM, they said.

Police and Fire Services personnel arrived and doused the flames. The family was taken to hospital where the doctors declared the parents as brought dead while the girl was moved to the Kottayam Medical College and is in a critical situation, the police said.

The exact reason behind the fire is being ascertained with the help of scientific experts who have collected evidence from the scene, they said.