VietNamNet Bridge – To cast out her parents-in-law from their home, a Thai Binh woman started the many mysterious fires that attracted the attention of curious crowds as well as the authorities.

Mysterious “spontaneous combustion” cases await investigation results

A burned stack of straw at Mr. Tac’s house.

Since mid-February 2010, a 2000 square meter sector of land in Thai Binh province, owned by Mr. Bui Van Tac and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen, became a point of interest for residents. Nearly 30 mysterious fires broke out in what appeared to be episodes of spontaneous combustion. Straw burst into flames, stored garments caught fire and even clothes that people were wearing would mysteriously alight.

News about these mysterious fires spread and many people from other provinces flocked to seek out the “fire ghost.”

Arson experts collected samples of the burnt items at Mr. Tac’s homes for testing by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Scientists remarked that these fires could not have been caused by any supernatural force and pointed out that there are many substances in nature that can cause spontaneous fires. Laboratory results proved the mysterious fires were not caused by natural chemicals and the chemists turned over the matter to the police for investigation.

Nguyen Van Tan, the police chief in Quynh Phu province, told VNExpress on May 3 that detectives focused their investigation on members of the victim’s family. One mentioned that he saw Bui Thi Diu, the niece of Mr. Bui Van Tac and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen, standing next to a wooden desk in her uncle Bui Van Ngat’s house just before the desk caught fire on March 23.

The girl’s teachers cooperated with police to convince her to reveal the truth. Finally, Diu admitted that she caused the fire in Ngat’s house, as instructed by her mother, Ngo Thi Men.

Chief Tan said that Men hoped to drive her parents-in-law from their home so that her family could own the entire plot of land. She and her daughter created the mysterious fires to terrorize her parents-in-law, hoping that they would become afraid and leave.

PV