Woman fire death horror at seaside
A DEATH probe has been launched in a seaside town after a woman was found on fire.
Help arrived too late to save the 63-year-old Latvian, who died in hospital.
A retired oil worker called an ambulance after making the horrific discovery in the Moray fishing town of Buckie.
George Sutherland, 68, said: “I was sitting in my garden on Sunday evening and smelled smoke and went out to investigate.
“I could see smoke coming from a grass bank area overlooking the Moray Firth.
“I went over to look and that is when I saw a body. At the time I didn’t know if it was a man or a woman.
“The person was smouldering. She was lying in the undergrowth, moaning and groaning.
“It’s tragic. I’ve seen the woman about town. She walked with the aid of a stick.
“I ran back and shouted on my neighbour and said that someone was on fire. I phoned to get an ambulance and my wife and neighbour were using buckets of water to douse her.
“The top part of her clothes had completely burned or melted away.”
Detectives yesterday interviewed George for several hours as they tried to establish what led to the horrific event.
Part of Land Street in the Buckpool area of the town was cordoned off to allow a forensics team to gather evidence.
A police spokeswoman said the death was being treated as “unexplained”.
She said: “Officers were called at around 7.30pm.
“A woman, aged 63, was transported to Dr Gray’s hospital in Elgin by ambulance, where she later died.
“Police remain in the area while we carry out an investigation.
“Inquiries remain at an early stage but the death is currently being treated as unexplained.”