Candles in a flat below killed two sisters in Aberdeen blaze, fire report finds

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report reveals that candles ignited a mattress in a lower flat, killing Shikshya Subedi, 24, and Aanchal Subedi, 28, in January 2024. A lithium battery then caused the fire to spread rapidly through the Back Hilton Road block before crews could reach them. The report was obtained by BBC Scotland through a Freedom of Information request, nearly three years after the sisters died.

A joint Police Scotland and fire investigation found no suspicious circumstances, but a fatal accident inquiry was also ruled out.

The sisters' family has now instructed Digby Brown Solicitors to pursue a civil action and recover documents from the investigation.

Surviving sister Susan Subedi, 35, said: 'All we get told is the decisions official people are making but with very little explanation — we deserve more than an FYI.'