[12 JAN 01] CRIMES, FIRES & ACCIDENTS
Youths Sought In Coventry Murder Hunt 

A murder inquiry has been launched after forensic tests showed that a house fire that killed a Coventry woman was arson.

Police say they are unable to reveal the exact details of the tests carried out at the house in Queen Mary’s road in Foleshill, but say the fire was started deliberately.

The woman who died from the effects of smoke inhalation has been named as Nasreen Akhtar, aged 36.

She died from her injuries at the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital on Wednesday, the day after the attack.

Her two daughters, Bhaktauar Zahreen, aged three, and Aisha Zahreen, aged 18 months, are both still in a seriously ill condition at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

The family were rescued from a downstairs bathroom by firefighters when the blaze was being tackled shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

The dead woman’s husband was out of the country at the time of the attack, but has since returned.

Because the attack was arson, the death is being treated as murder, and an incident room has been set up.

Police said they are looking for any witnesses to any suspicious activity in the road between 11.30pm and 12am.

In particular they are looking for a group of youths spotted near the house shortly before the fire was discovered.

Members of the public should ring the incident room on 024 7653 9160 if they say anything.

SEE [11 JAN 00] COVENTRY WOMAN DIES FROM HOUSE FIRE INJURIES