Blaze death of woman still a mystery

THE death of a woman in a house fire in Lowestoft was last night (Thursday) still being treated by police as unexplained.

The 65-year-old woman was not breathing when paramedics arrived at the blaze in Bishops Walk, Gunton at just after 6am on Tuesday and she was immediately taken by ambulance to the James Paget University Hospital at Gorleston.

Police and forensic officers spent much of the day examining the property, while fire investigators sought to pinpoint the cause of the blaze in the bedroom of the chalet bungalow.

But last night they were still unable to confirm how the woman died, or what caused the fire.

'A woman had been found unconscious in the property and she was pronounced dead a short time later,' a Suffolk police spokesman said.

'Police are treating the death as unexplained but there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances at this stage. Next of kin have now been informed and a post mortem examination and inquest will be held in due course.'

Forensic officers were currently putting together a report into the fire, she added.

Three fire crews - two from Lowestoft South and one from Normanshurst - were called to the blaze and it was put out by 6.30am.

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue said the cause of the fire was unknown.

'At 5.40am crews attended and on arrival found the bedroom well alight,' she said. 'At 5.58am crews requested the ambulance service due to the discovery of a middle-aged female who was unconscious and not breathing.'

No one else was in the home at the time.

Jack Munnings, who lives in Bishops Walk, off Gunton St Peter's Avenue, said he was awake during the fire and had heard 'some commotion' outside but had not heard the fire engines.

'I saw police going backwards and forwards when I came down to make tea,' said Mr Munnings. 'But from 5am onwards I didn't hear any heavy motors at all.'