A mother and her teenage daughter were killed after the upper floor of a two-storey house in Maharagama was allegedly set on fire by an unidentified group, while two men sustained serious burn injuries and were hospitalised, police said.

The victims were identified as a 55-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter, who had been living on rent at a house located on the Second Lane of Eksath Subasadaka Mawatha, Pamunuwa Road, Maharagama.

The girl’s father and the 76-year-old owner of the house suffered severe burn injuries in the incident and were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Police said the incident occurred yesterday (18). Neighbours had intervened quickly to extinguish the fire and rushed the two injured men to hospital.

Further inspections of the house later led to the discovery of the bodies of the woman and her daughter inside a room.

Investigators said a strong smell of petrol was detected at the scene, and preliminary inquiries indicated that the house had been deliberately set ablaze in what police described as a double murder.

The motive for the killings has not yet been established, and Sri Lanka Police officers attached to Maharagama Police are conducting further investigations.