An Indian-origin couple and their 16-year-old daughter have perished in a “suspicious” fire at their residence in Ontario, Canada.
Although the incident occurred on March 7, the victims were only identified on Friday, when their remains were discovered at the scene, as reported by CTV News. The deceased have been named as Rajiv Warikoo, 51, Shilpa Kotha, 47, and Mahek Warikoo, 16.
Peel Police stated in a press release, “All three of the deceased persons resided at the address prior to the fire.”
The tragedy unfolded at 1:30 pm on March 7, when police responded to a fully engulfed residential home in Brampton, at the intersection of Big Sky Way and Van Kirk Drive.
A neighbour’s doorbell camera captured video showing large flames erupting from the roof, with black smoke filling the sky as a fire truck arrived.
“After the initial efforts of first responders to extinguish the fire, the fire Marshall’s office was called in to help determine the cause of the fire. While examining the scene, investigators made an unfortunate discovery when they located what was believed to be human remains within the destroyed house,” Peel Police added.
Detectives from the Peel Regional Police Homicide Bureau have been collaborating closely with the Office of the Chief Coroner. Peel police Constable Taryn Young confirmed that the fire is being treated as suspicious, stating, “At this time we are investigating this with our homicide bureau and we are deeming this as suspicious as the Ontario Fire Marshal has deemed that this fire was not accidental.”
Young explained that due to the extent of the damage, determining the cause of the fire is challenging. She also mentioned that the coroner is working to establish the exact cause of death for the three family members.
The deadly fire has deeply impacted the local community in Brampton, with investigators working tirelessly to uncover the cause. One neighbour described the deceased as “a good family” who were active in the neighborhood, often seen riding bikes.
“That is so, so tragic. My neighbour’s daughter and their daughter were about the same age and we saw them playing all the time and it was very sad to hear that news,” neighbour Kenneth Yousaf said.