Woman dead after Annex fire

Police are treating the death of a woman in an Annex rooming house as a homicide.

A fire broke out in a Huron Street rooming house just after 10 a.m. on July 2. A 23-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man were pulled from the house by rescuers.

The woman, believed to be a Ryerson University student, was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital where she was pronounced dead, said Detective Ian Briggs. Police are not releasing the victim’s name as requested by her family.

The man, identified as Farshar Badakhshad, was also taken to Sunnybrook, where he is being treated for burns. He was listed as in critical condition.

A tenant on-scene hours after the blaze said the woman and the man were dating. He said rumour among tenants was that police are investigating a possible murder-suicide.

Briggs could not confirm the man and woman were dating, and would not confirm police were investigating a murder-suicide.

“Both individuals were living in the rooming house, but had separate units,” said Briggs.

The tenant, who declined to give his name, also said there was a rumour that the man had stabbed the woman.

Meanwhile, police say they are trying to track down the man’s next of kin.

“We are appealing to the public to identify the next of kin of Farshar Badakhshad.”

Though fire officials don’t know the cause of the blaze, they believe it began in the basement of the rooming house.