Police believe a 63-year old mother, whose burned body was found by villagers in Kampot’s Banteay Meas district on Sunday, self-immolated.

Police said that the woman, from Keatha Vongleu village, bought a bottle of gasoline, saying it was for an engine, before going home and setting fire to herself around 9 or 10am.

Villagers found the body and notified police, who found the death to be suicide.

Banteay Meas district police chief Kim Sokhan said the woman was believed to suffer from a long-term mental illness and usually stayed home alone while her family went to work.

Her husband and children were at work when she died.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khoun Leakhana at [email protected]