Elderly woman dies in Paphos house fire

An elderly Cypriot woman in Paphos died in a house fire on Thursday morning in what appeared to have been a heating-related accident.

(Click here for an update to the story)

According to police, a concerned citizen dialed the emergency number at 9am to report a woman, described as domestic help, anxiously calling for help inside a house where smoke was seen coming out.

Fire fighters and police officers who immediately rushed to scene, on Vasileos Constantinou Street, found an 86-year-old woman unconscious on the bedroom floor with burns all over her body.

According to initial reports, an indoor portable kerosene heater that was turned on was found next to her bed.

The lifeless body of the senior citizen, described as a Cypriot national, was taken to Paphos General Hospital, where doctors on duty pronounced her dead on arrival. A post mortem is expected to show whether the woman died of burns or smoke inhalation.

The female household maid was reportedly in good health, while police have ruled out foul play.