A fatal house blaze which claimed the life of a Kent businessman who had previously been jailed for smuggling explosives onto a plane is believed to have started accidentally in his kitchen.

Manohar Chandnani was found dead in his home in Woodland Close, Penenden Heath in the early hours of Saturday, October 18.

The inquest into his death was opened and adjourned on Friday.

Evidence was given by coroners office Chris Kemsley regarding the initial police and fire investigation.

Mr Kemsley told how the fire was originally believed to be suspicious and that blood was found around Mr Chandnani's home.

But coroner Roger Sykes told how he had been contacted by police who informed him they were no longer treating the fire as suspicious.

Investigators are testing the blood to see if it belonged to Mr Chandnani.

Mr Chandnani ran Headcorn business Scott Science, which manufacturers and exports laboratory and health care products.

He was jailed in 2006, when he was 54, for endangering an aircraft and causing dangerous chemicals, which were banned from being transported and from being taken into Iran, to be carried on a British Airways plane to Tehran.

~ Read the full story at kentmessenger.co.uk >>>