Four children burnt beyond recognition in house fire, mother battling for life

THE mother of the four children who were on Tuesday morning burnt beyond recognition when the room they were sleeping in caught fire in Pumula South suburb in Bulawayo, sustained serious burns when she attempted rescue the children.

Ms Mtolilla Tshuma is admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital where she is reportedly battling for life.

In an interview yesterday at the family house, Mr Hloniphani Ndlovu who is an uncle to the victims, said his sister was burnt when she entered the room already engulfed in flames as she tried to rescue her children.

"The fire was intense. Everything in the room was reduced to ashes. We were yet to disperse a funeral wake for our other sister, whom we buried on Sunday. Property had been piled into the room to make space for mourners. All documents, including birth certificates for most of the family, educational certificates and National Identity cards were reduced to ashes," said Mr Ndlovu.

He said his sister could not stand the cries for help from her children and stormed into the flames in an attempt to rescue them.

"The children were screaming as they were being consumed by the fire and my sister threw herself in the burning room in an attempt to rescue them. There were flames everywhere and she could not locate them. She ignored calls for her to come out of the room and some people had to drag her out. Although she had developed blisters on her face and arms, with her skin peeling off, she still wanted to go back in and get the children out," he said.

Mr Ndlovu said the body of the eldest child was found at the window where she seemed to have been trying to escape.
He said the tragedy had traumatised the family but they believed as Christians that God would assist them to pull through.

Neighbours said they watched helplessly as the children cried for help because the room was engulfed in flames.
"We could not enter the room. There was smoke and flames everywhere. We could                   not open the windows either as the frames had become red hot. The windows later exploded and we used the opening to pour water and finally put the fire out.

"Afterwards we had to use big stones to knock the  frames open because they had been welded shut by the heat," said one of the neighbours.
They said the whole suburb was shocked by the series of tragedies that had struck their neighbour.

Mr Ndlovu's younger brother, Mr Mlamuli Ndlovu, said the family suspected that the fire was started by a candle.

"My sister that we had buried on Sunday left a six-month old baby. The baby would cry every time the candle was blown out. There is no electricity at the house because it is still under construction. I think eventually, everyone fell asleep and left the candle burning," said Mr Ndlovu.

He said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the "great misfortune."

"I was called at about 1am from my home and asked to phone the Fire Brigade, police and ambulance because there was a fire at the family house. By the time I arrived, the fire had been put out and we had to deal with the horror of my nieces and nephews who had been burnt to death," said Mr Ndlovu.

Meanwhile, the children aged between six months and five years have been identified as Brian (6 months), Kudzai (3) and Nobuhle Mpofu (5) and their cousin Ashley Moyo (4) who was the daughter of the woman that the family buried on Sunday.