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Police seek info on blaze that killed couple

Family gathering for wedding turned tragic
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Two people died in an early morning house fire at 97 Avenue and 120A Street on Thursday.


Relatives are mourning the loss of a Surrey husband and wife killed in a tragic house fire in Royal Heights just days after they celebrated their nephew's wedding.

Sashi Singh, 69, and his 62-year-old wife Pushpa Reddy were unable to escape from their home on the 12000-block of 97 Avenue when the blaze broke out just before 3 a.m. June 30.

The fire spread quickly, setting three parked cars ablaze.

Neighbours called 911 but the house was already engulfed in flames and Surrey RCMP said it was too unstable for fire crews to go inside.

The couple's 27-year-old son was roused by neighbours and managed to jump out a window and was treated in hospital for minor burns and smoke inhalation.

"I just started screaming, hoping they would come out," neighbour Sharon Sekhon told CTV News. "It was too little, too late for that."

Firefighters found the two bodies inside after bringing the fire under control.

A tenant in the basement suite was away on vacation at the time of the fire.

The family had just begun a happy reunion, with relatives arriving from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand for the wedding.

Police initially said the fire did not appear suspicious but now say the fire's cause is not yet determined and all possibilities are being considered.

"We're not sure what we've got," a Surrey RCMP spokesman said, adding investigators are asking the public to step forward with any information about anything they saw in the area that night.

Witnesses can call 604-599-0502 to reach a Surrey RCMP officer, who is investigating along with Surrey Fire Services.

Autopsies were to be performed Monday, potentially shedding more light on the cause of the fire or whether the couple were incapacitated and unable to escape.

– with files from CTV News