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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Damon Wilkinson & Neal Keeling

Murder cops launch manhunt after woman dies in house blaze and car is found abandoned at airport

Police are hunting a man seen running from the scene where a woman died.

A car believed to belong to the man was later found abandoned at Manchester Airport.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the blaze at a house on Darras Road just before 2.30am this morning (Tuesday).

READ MORE: Woman's frantic efforts to rescue neighbour as house fire leads to murder probe

A woman, believed to be in her early 60s, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

She has not yet been formally identified, police said.

A woman - aged 33 - has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

But the Manchester Evening News understands police are also seeking a man in connection with the incident.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she saw a man running away from the burning house, get in his car and drive off.

She said: “About 11pm I heard a lot of arguing from over there, which isn’t unusual, but it was louder than normal. There was a lot of shouting.

The badly damaged bungalow in Darras Road where a fatal fire broke out at about 2.30am today (Manchester Evening News)

"Then 2.20am I heard shouting and I could smell burning. I went into my son’s room to check it wasn’t there and when I looked out the window the whole building was just ablaze.

"I threw my sliders on and ran across the road. At that point I saw him drive off."

The neighbour said a woman who also lives in the bungalow then came out and called 999.

She added: "She was in the street shouting ‘Send help, send help'.

"The living room was just glowing and there was smoke pouring out of the roof.

"You could hear cracking and popping and like a bellowing sound.

"I couldn’t believe anyone was still in there.

"The fire brigade came and they dragged her body out. It was horrendous.

"I never want to relive that ever again. It’s traumatised me."

The witness helped others rescue a woman who is deaf and lives in a property next door to the bungalow which was ablaze.

"We had to get her out because five minutes more and the whole thing would have gone up."

She also helped the woman who fled the burning bungalow: "I brought her into mine. I gave her my coat. She said she was eight weeks pregnant. I tried to calm her down. I told her she did all she can. She was saying she tried to help, she tried to save her."

Police outside the bungalow in Gorton where a woman died. A murder inquiry has been launched (Manchester Evening News)

Detective Superintendent Amber Waywell, of GMP, said: "This is a devastating incident in which a woman has tragically lost her life.

"I would like to reassure the public that this is being treated as an isolated incident and there will be an increased emergency services presence in the area as we work to establish the full circumstances surrounding this death.

"If you have any questions please do feel free to approach one of our officers for information.

"Although we have arrested an individual, our investigation is still in its early stages and we are continuing to follow a number of lines of enquiry.

"If you have any information at all which could assist with our enquiries please do not hesitate to contact police as soon as possible."

Anyone with information should contact police by reporting online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, call 101 quoting log 228 of 13/07/21 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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