Toddler dies in house fire

A TWO-YEAR-OLD toddler from Bulawayo's Sauerstown suburb was yesterday burnt to death after his seven-year-old brother reportedly set the house on fire while playing with matches.

Five rooms of the nine-roomed house were extensively destroyed in the inferno in Neville Road close to Garden Cash.

Bulawayo chief fire officer Richard Peterson confirmed the tragedy and said investigations into the cause of the fire were underway.

"I can confirm that a two-year-old baby boy, who was sleeping in the room where the fire started, was burnt to death when he was engulfed by the blaze that started as a result of his brother playing with match sticks," he said.

"At the moment we are not sure what spread the fire, but investigations are underway.

"The mother of the children was away when the accident occurred and attended to the scene after neighbours shouted that the house was on fire.

"She sustained facial burns as she attempted to rescue the baby, but was hindered by the heat and smoke coming from the fire."

Peterson said 55% of property in the house was damaged while the rest was salvaged.

He urged parents not to leave children unattended as this could result in similar tragedies.

The deceased toddler was burnt beyond recognition and neighbours said he had cried helplessly when the room caught fire, but the mother was nowhere in the vicinity.

The father of the toddler, Ernest Peel, was too distraught to talk to the media and wept uncontrollably as he helplessly watched the fire brigade extinguishing the fire.

An uncle of the toddler, Edward Peel, said the accident was very painful and the toddler's death was untimely and heart breaking.

"We are very heart broken by this accident because it was very untimely.

"What makes it even worse is that my nephew died such a painful death. One can only imagine the pain he felt being burnt until he died," he said.

"Some property was not damaged, but that is nothing compared to the loss of the baby's life.

"As a family we have lost. Despite that he was a baby, we have lost and this is unbelievable."

A neighbour John Rajah, who was among the first people to detect the fire, said he saw thick black smoke coming from the rooftop and went close to investigate only to find that it was ablaze.

"I was going to a friend's house and that is when I saw thick smoke from the roof. I went closer and I realised that the house was burning," he said.

"I quickly got a hose pipe and called for other neighbours and we tried to extinguish the fire until the arrival of the fire brigade.

"The heat and smoke hindered us from saving the baby as it was unbearable," he said.

Another neighbour, who requested anonymity, said the owner of the house, who is believed to be in Harare, intended selling the house.

"This is really sad because the owner of the house was telling us recently that she wanted to sell the house, but we were advising her not to as she had just lost her husband.

"We wonder how she is going to take this because she was in the process of getting buyers," said the neighbour.

A sombre atmosphere enveloped the neighbourhood when Southern Eye visited the scene.

Neighbours were using buckets to assist the fire brigade extinguish the fire while some were crying for the deceased toddler.

The police and some soldiers attended to the scene.

Meanwhile, a bedroom of a house in New Magwegwe caught fire yesterday morning while the owner was at work.

A bed, wardrobe, clothes and laptop, among other property that was in the room, were reduced to ashes.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established.