Ukrainian refugees — a 46-year-old mother Lilia and her six-year-old daughter Anna  — were found dead with stab wounds after a deliberately set fire at their home in Haasrode, Belgium. The Leuven prosecutor’s office has opened a double murder investigation.

Emergency services responded to the blaze at approximately 9:30 a.m. on 6 June at a former rectory-turned shelter for refugees on Milsestraat. Firefighters brought the fire under control by 10:20 a.m. but discovered two bodies during their search of the first-floor apartment, according to VRT, Sudinfo, and La Libre.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while paramedics attempted to resuscitate the child before she died from her injuries. Both victims had sustained stab wounds across their bodies, the prosecutor’s office confirmed Friday evening.

Fire experts determined the blaze was intentionally set, leading prosecutors to launch a formal investigation into double homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for 10 June to determine the exact cause of death.

The family had lived in Belgium for three years after fleeing Ukraine due to the war. The woman’s husband remains fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, while their 16-year-old son was at school during the incident and is now receiving care from authorities.

The building where the family lived is owned by the local church but rented by the Oud-Heverlee municipality to house Ukrainian refugees.

Acting mayor Francis Van Biesbroeck expressed the community’s grief, stating that “the death of a young child affects an entire community, and certainly also the school.” He praised the rapid response of emergency services and support staff.

Father Mykola Paliukh of the Leuven parish described the incident as “a tragedy,” noting how the family had “fled Ukraine because of the war and hoping to build a better life” before being “struck by such a tragedy.”

The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and arson attack.