Sisters' Deaths in Aberdeen Fire Caused by Candles Below, Report Finds
An official report determined that candles ignited a mattress in a lower flat, leading to the fatal blaze that claimed the lives of Shikshya and Aanchal Subedi.
A fire that resulted in the deaths of two sisters nearly three years ago was caused by candles burning in the apartment below, according to an official report. The blaze occurred on January 29, 2024, in an Aberdeen apartment block, claiming the lives of Shikshya Subedi, 24, and her sister Aanchal Subedi, 28.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service incident report stated that the fire began when candles ignited a mattress in a bedroom of the lower flat. The report also indicated that a lithium battery contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Fire crews battled the blaze for approximately three hours after it broke out shortly before 6 p.m. The sisters were deceased by the time firefighters reached them. A joint investigation by police and fire services concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
The fire impacted five other individuals and resulted in the precautionary hospitalization of a baby from a neighboring flat, who was discharged the following day. The Subedi sisters, originally from Nepal, had moved to Aberdeen in their childhood.
Their older sister, Susan, described the family's devastation in comments to the BBC, stating, "To say we are devastated doesn’t come close to describing how we feel. It’s very hard to describe how losing Shikshya and Aanchal has affected our family. As sisters we were incredibly close. They were only in their 20s, they had everything in life to look forward to but that’s been taken away from them and us." An online fundraiser was established to support the family and raised thousands of pounds.
Last month, the family retained the legal firm Digby Brown to seek answers. The firm indicated it would examine "all available evidence to help the Subedi family in their pursuit for answers."
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service confirmed that reports of the deaths were sent to them at the time. A spokesperson stated, "Following a thorough investigation the procurator fiscal concluded that no further action was required."
Aberdeen Grammar School, where Shikshya was a former pupil, remembered her as "a hardworking, focused and dedicated student who was very well liked."