KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 -- Police suspect foul play in the case of a 70-year-old woman found burnt to death after a fire destroyed five single-storey homes in Kampung Bukit Siput, Segamat, early Friday morning.

Police said the fire is believed to have started around 4.15am on July 25 at a garage connected to one of the homes along Jalan Francis Khoo.

A local man living in the first affected house spotted flames and quickly alerted his family members to evacuate.

However, the witness's mother-in-law re-entered the house to retrieve some belongings and did not exit again, believed to have been trapped inside, said district police chief Supt Ahmad Zamry Marinsah.

The fire also destroyed two cars and two motorcycles before firefighters mana...