Child dies in fire while mother is out drinking
A TWO year 6 months baby boy died while his 10 year old sister has suffered severe burns after the house they were sleeping caught fire in the early hours of today.
The accident happened around 03:20 hours in Lusaka’s Chaisa Compound.
Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo has confirmed the incident to Mwebantu in a statement today and has identified the deceased as Danniel Kaputula while the hospitalised sister is Alice Kaputala.
Katongo says police suspect that the fire could have started as a result of an unattended candle which was lit on.
“Brief facts are that the Father of the two children known as Royd Kaputula, a security guard left home for work on 31st December, 2018 at 16:00 hours leaving the two children in the care of their mother Babra Phiri aged 33 of Chaisa Compound. Preliminary investigations have indicated that Babra Phiri, the mother of the children has a tendency of locking the children to go out to drink beer whenever the husband was in night shift,” Katongo explained.
She narrated that the neighbours who noticed the fire managed to put it off while the mother of the children was still away and discovered that the deceased died while sited on the chair.
Katongo said the neighbours later informed the police who in turn visited the scene.
“The house is not connected to power and it is suspected that the mother could have left the candle burning when she went out. The Suspect has been apprehended and detained while the body of the deceased has been deposited at UTH mortuary,” said Katongo.
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