PacemakerA post mortem examination is expected to be conducted later today on a woman whose body was discovered at the scene of a burning car in Omagh on Saturday.
Police were alerted to the incident in the Rylagh Road area at 14:05 BST on Saturday by members of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).
The fire service discovered the body amid efforts to extinguish a Mitsubishi Lancer GS2 that was on fire.
Police said they are treating the incident as arson and that the woman died as a result of the fire.
Independent councillor Josephine Deehan, told Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme that the “tragic and horrific situation” has left the local community “really shocked, greatly saddened and indeed disturbed”.
The Rylagh Road, which is rural with very few houses nearby, is partially closed.
“Our enquiries as to how the person came to be beside the vehicle are ongoing,” said Detective Inspector Keon.
He appealed to anyone who may have been in the area between 12:00 and 14:15 on Saturday, or who may have noticed anything suspicious, to contact them.
“We would be particularly keen to hear from anyone who had dashcam or other footage and would also like to hear from anyone who may have noticed this particular vehicle.”
Deehan described the Rylagh Road as a “very beautiful, tranquil, rural area” which is home to a “close-knit, supportive community”.
She commended the emergency services for attending to the “harrowing situation” and echoed their call for information from the public as she said the community want to have answers “pretty quickly” to end the speculation.
SDLP assembly member Daniel McCrossan described the incident as “deeply disturbing”.
The West Tyrone MLA said the death has “shocked the local community”.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the person who has so tragically lost their life”, he added.
“It is heartbreaking that someone has died in such harrowing circumstances. People in the area are understandably anxious and looking for answers.
“It is critical that anyone with information – no matter how small – reports it to the PSNI.”
