THE motives behind the killing of Caneze Riaz and her four daughters may never be known following the death of her husband, police said.

Mohammed Riaz, described by police as "the prime suspect" died in hospital yesterday.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Hunter said: "The reason why this tragedy happened is the key element that is missing from our jigsaw.

"Mohammed was the only one who could provide us with the information as to why this happened."

Mr Hunter, who said Mohammed Riaz was the prime suspect, went on: "Now he has died we are unable to get the information directly and we will have to rely on our forensic team and their investigations."

Mr Riaz died in Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, at 8.33am yesterday as a result of the injuries he sustained in the fire at his home in Tremellen Street, Accrington.

He had suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body and had been having treatment at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.

The bodies of Caneze, 39, and daughters Sayrah, 16, Sophie, 12, Alisha, 10, and Hannah, three, were pulled from the house by firefighters at 1.50am on Wednesday.

Their son Adam, 17, survived because he was in The Christie Hospital, Manchester, being treated for leukaemia.

Officers had been investigating the suggestion that Mr Riaz had been depressed over son Adam's battle with cancer and that he was feeling left behind by his wife Caneze, who was enjoying an increasingly liberated lifestyle.

Mr Neil Hunter said that although there appeared to have been problems within the family, and Mr and Mrs Riaz had rowed outside the property that evening, there were no signs of a fight within the house on the night of the fire. Mr Hunter also gave more details on the blaze.

He said police believed the family had all been asleep when the fire broke out.

Sophia, and Alisha, were in the front bedroom, Caneze was in her bedroom with Hannah, and Sayrah, was in a back bedroom.

Mohammed was found in the bathroom and was semi-conscious when he was pulled from the house.

Police said Caneze and her daughters had not been restrained and were most likely asleep when the fire broke out.

Mr Hunter said: "Fire and smoke spread very quickly.

"If they weren't asleep there would have been more of an attempt to escape the property."

All of the windows, apart from one of the bay windows on the ground floor, were locked but none of the interior doors had been secured.

The majority of the damage was to the upstairs of the property, where accelerants have been found.

Mr Riaz was not known to police prior to the fire, said Mr Hunter, although Mrs Riaz was due to her large involvement with the community.

Police have also commended a neighbour for his quick reactions on discovering the fire. The man had been walking home when he heard screaming, which he initially thought was coming from the playground at the end of the road.

Mr Hunter said: "When he realised the cries were coming from inside the house he began to pound on the door and managed to alert other neighbours.

"He handed his mobile to a neighbour while he continued to try to get in the house."

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