Senior citizen 'petrol bombed' in Pumula

A 70-YEAR-OLD woman from Bulawayo's Pumula North suburb was almost burnt to death after unknown assailants allegedly threw a petrol bomb into her bedroom while she was sleeping last Wednesday night.

Mrs Molly Nkala was rescued by her neighbours who called an ambulance to rush her to hospital, while they helped put out the fire, Sunday News reported.

Confirming the fire incident, Bulawayo Fire Brigade senior divisional officer, Mr Linos Phiri, said although it had been a late call, their officers were in the process of investigating the cause of the fire.

"When our fire crew got there, they found residents had already put out the fire but we are now investigating the possible cause of the fire and by Monday (tomorrow) we would have finalised our findings," said Mr Phiri.

Relating her near death experience, Mrs Nkala said she was so close to death as in the few seconds, she was gasping for air in the smoke-filled room. She almost gave up but somehow found the door handle, managing to get out of the room in the nick of time.

"It was around 11pm when I decided to sleep because there was no electricity. I was suddenly woken up by a loud explosion in the room. All I remember is the window pane shattering and a bottle with some liquid landing on my bed. The next thing the whole room was on fire.

"I was blinded by the smoke and my nightdress was on fire. However, I miraculously managed to find the door handle which is how I managed to escape and alert my neighbours but by then I had already suffered burns on my leg," said Mrs Nkala.

Questioned on who would want her burnt alive, Mrs Nkala said in her 35 years of living in the suburb, she had never had enemies hence the petrol bomb had left her shell-shocked.

"This was a petrol bomb indeed because the wall was left with splash marks all over and outside the broken window where the bottle was thrown my neighbours found the other half of the bomb, which really surprises me because I am a God-fearing individual who does not believe in making any enemies.

"I lost a lot of property and clothes due to this fire. It is fortunate that I was alone in the room because I imagine what would have happened if there was a child inside," she said.

Mr Nicholas Ncube, a neighbour, also confirmed that they heard a loud explosion and when they rushed to investigate that was when they saw Mrs Nkala's room on fire. He, however, expressed disappointment on the conduct of the police and the Fire Brigade crew who he alleged did not entertain Mrs Nkala or the neighbour's assertion that the fire had been caused by a petrol bomb.

"Initially when I heard the explosion I thought it was someone who was switching on a gas stove because there was no electricity but then I saw uGogo come out half-undressed screaming that the room was on fire which is when we rushed to try and put out the fire.

"Outside the window, I personally saw a half-bottle with some dry grass inside which was burning but when the police came and the Fire Brigade they did not want to listen to us. They accused Mrs Nkala of recklessly using a mosquito coil or a candle. We even suggested that if they felt this was a fire caused by a mosquito coil they could simply call some forensic department because we all know that was not the cause," said Mr Ncube.

Another neighbour said they were now living in fear because they strongly suspected that the petrol bomb was not targeted at Mrs Nkala and the perpetrators could come back.

"Pumula North houses are the same hence it is a possibility that the perpetrators missed their target and could be back. If these people do not want to call a spade a spade they will awaken when something worse has happened," said the neighbour, who only identified himself as Vincent.