An 81-year-old woman has died after a lighter she was refilling burst into flames.

She managed to pull her Carecall alarm at her home in Hay Lane, Braintree, and a rapid response vehicle and ambulance were called at 12.27pm on Friday afternoon.

Paramedic Clare Cole, who was on the rapid response vehicle and first on the scene, said: "When I arrived, it was immediately obvious that the woman had suffered very serious injuries.

"This was a very difficult job as the woman has suffered serious burns across most of her body."

The air ambulance also attended and due to the location, landed at the King George Playing Field, off Cressing Road.

Once the woman was stable, she was taken by land ambulance to the helicopter and flown to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford but later died.

Published Monday, September 27, 2004

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