A fire that resulted in the deaths of two sisters in Aberdeen in January 2024 was caused by candles in the flat below, an investigation has concluded. Shikshya Subedi, 24, and Aanchal Subedi, 28, died in the blaze at a block of flats on Back Hilton Road.
A joint police and fire investigation found no suspicious circumstances. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) incident report, obtained by BBC Scotland News through a Freedom of Information request, revealed that the fire started when candles ignited a mattress in a lower flat bedroom. The report added that a lithium battery then caused the fire to spread rapidly.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) confirmed that reports of the deaths were received at the time, and following an investigation, the procurator fiscal concluded that no further action was required. The sisters' family, who originally came from Nepal, had asked a law firm last month to help them find answers about the fire.