Nine children have been burnt to death while five others have sustained serious bruns in different fire accidents in Nchelenge, Samfya, and Kawambwa districts.
Meanwhile, police in Shibuyunji district have arrested a 23-year-old woman for allegedly stabbing to death her husband’s lover after catching them having sex in the kitchen.
In a statement today, Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo explained that the first fire incident involved three children of the same family who were burnt to death while another survived with multiple burns after a makeshift house they were sleeping in caught fire on Saturday at about 23:00 hours at Kabukwa Farm in Nchelenge District.
Katongo said the makeshift house belonged to Getrude Kunda aged 34 of Kasheta Village, Chief Kambwali and the deceased children were aged six, five, and seven years.
“The victims were burnt beyond recognition. According to the owner of the house, the incident happened when she was harvesting cassava at the farm at about 23:00 hours and that she only managed to save a two-year-old female juvenile who also sustained multiple burns. Postmortem has already been conducted on the bodies and police have instituted investigations in the matter,” Katonfo said.
In a related development, a three months- two weeks old baby was burnt to death while its 30 year old father identified as Peter Chama aged 30, sustained multiple burns after a grass thatched house in which the baby was, caught fire yesterday at around 07:00 hours.
Katongo said the incident happened at Mwamfuli Village in Chief Kasoma Bangweulu of Samfya District where Chama sustained multiple burns in the process of trying to save his child.
“Chama is admitted to Samfya District Hospital while the body of the deceased is in the same hospital mortuary. The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations have been instituted in the matter,” she said.
Katongo further stated that five children were burnt to death while three others sustained burns after a makeshift grass shelter in which they were sleeping in caught fire in Kawambwa district of Luapula province.
She said the inferno happened yesterday at about 01:30 hours at Mweo Village, Chief Mushota of Kawambwa District across Luongo River and that the inferno is suspected to have been caused by the fire which was in the shelter for warmth.
“The deceased are aged 12, nine, six, four, and two years respectively all of Mweo Village. Those burnt who include a female adult identified as Agnes Kabale aged 35 and two male juveniles are admitted to Kawambwa District Hospital while the bodies of the deceased are in the same Hospital mortuary,” she said.
Meanwhile, police have arrested a 23-year-old woman of Chitanga Fishing camp for stabbing to death a woman whom she caught having sex with her husband in a grass thatched kitchen.
“This happened yesterday, 03rd September 2017 at about 10:00 hours at Chitanga fishing camp. The victim died on the spot after she was stabbed on the left side of her breast. The suspect was apprehended by members of the public and handed over to Police in Shibuyunji. The body of the victim is in UTH mortuary awaiting postmortem while the accused person remains in detention,” said Katongo.