Ms Nagarajan Lakshmi, 26, died of extensive burns at about 2am on Jan 6 - some 17 hours after the incident at her employer's flat in Tampines Street 42.

At a coroner's inquiry into her death on Monday, the court heard that Ms Lakshmi arrived here on Jan 3 and began work the next day.

On Jan 5, her employers left home for work, leaving her alone with their seven-year-old son,

While she was lighting up the altar lamp in the prayer room, the matchstick she used could have broken and landed on her loose-fitting cotton dress, said the investigation officer Iyo Eng Chuan from Bedok police station.

Cotton is the easiest to ignite among a group of flammable material.

A neighbour, who heard her shouts and screams, saw Ms Lakshmi naked with burn marks on her body and smoke coming out from the flat.

The 32-year-old woman immediately called the Civil Defence. She also contacted the maid's employer after Ms Lakshmi had given her a notebook and a bunch of keys.

She panicked and could not open the padlock with the keys. She gave some water to Ms Lakshmi through the gate.

Civil Defence officers came and cut open the padlock. The boy was found unharmed sleeping in one of the bedrooms.

State Coroner Victor Yeo recorded a verdict of misadventure on the death of Ms Lakshmi, who had burns over 88 per cent of her body.