A 46-year-old Indian woman was killed when a fire broke out in her apartment in the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, according to a media report.

The blaze erupted in the Al Majaz area last week when the woman was reportedly performing a special ritual in her home, Gulf News reported, quoting authorities. The woman was not identified in the report, which only mentioned her nationality.

The fire, which started late on Thursday in the unit located on the eighth floor of an 11-storey building, only damaged the woman's flat before it was contained.

Civil Defence teams and police responded after receiving an emergency call, and the woman’s body was sent for an autopsy, according to the report.

Police launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and any safety violations that might have occurred.

In a separate incident in Sharjah, a 20-year-old Indian woman allegedly killed her infant before taking her own life last week, the newspaper reported.

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the family’s apartment.

According to initial findings, the woman was responsible for the death of her over one-year-old child.

There were clear marks on the woman’s neck indicating suicide, the report said, quoting the doctor who examined the scene.

The woman’s body was transferred to the hospital and moved to the forensic laboratory for autopsy.

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