News / Regional
Horror death, as 3 kids are burned beyond recognition
25 Sep 2014 at 08:31hrs | Views
THREE Umguza children were burnt beyond recognition yesterday morning when a hut they were sleeping in was engulfed by a mysterious inferno.
The charred bodies of the children were recovered by police at around 12PM. Villagers told Chronicle Lungelo Khanye, 4, his 18-month brother Thompson and their niece Thoko (surname not given) also aged four, were reduced to black stumps by the inferno.
The children's mother Junitah Khanye, 44, told of how she left her homestead to fetch water about three kilometres from the homestead, leaving her two children and a grandchild in the hut.
"I woke up early in the morning and cooked porridge for them. At about 8AM I left them to sleep as I rushed to fetch water about three kilometres away. While I was still there I received a call from my nephew's wife, telling me to come back home," she told the daily.
"I thought she wanted me to pass through her homestead and I told her I was on my way, but my heart started beating fast when she told me to rush to my homestead."
She said when she got home she was shocked to see the hut in which she had left her children engulfed by flames.
"Scores of people were already gathered around the hut. They stood there and watched helplessly. They could not do anything because the roof of the hut had collapsed. I was told that my two children and my grandchild had died in the fire.
"I am so devastated. I can't even imagine what could have happened," said Khanye.
A relative, Sine Khanye, said he received a call from a neighbour telling him of the tragedy in the morning.
"We made a report to the police. They attended the scene and took the remains to the mortuary.
"We suspect that the children lit a candle or made a fire, resulting in the hut burning down. It's unfortunate that nobody heard them scream. When neighbours saw the fire, it was already too late," he said.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North chair-person Richard Moyo confirmed the incident, saying the government would assist the family to bury their children. "It's very sad. We're really sorry about what happened and this is a loss to Umguza District and Matabeleland North Province. The provincial administrator has been informed and the government is planning to assist the family," said Moyo.
The charred bodies of the children were recovered by police at around 12PM. Villagers told Chronicle Lungelo Khanye, 4, his 18-month brother Thompson and their niece Thoko (surname not given) also aged four, were reduced to black stumps by the inferno.
The children's mother Junitah Khanye, 44, told of how she left her homestead to fetch water about three kilometres from the homestead, leaving her two children and a grandchild in the hut.
"I woke up early in the morning and cooked porridge for them. At about 8AM I left them to sleep as I rushed to fetch water about three kilometres away. While I was still there I received a call from my nephew's wife, telling me to come back home," she told the daily.
"I thought she wanted me to pass through her homestead and I told her I was on my way, but my heart started beating fast when she told me to rush to my homestead."
She said when she got home she was shocked to see the hut in which she had left her children engulfed by flames.
"Scores of people were already gathered around the hut. They stood there and watched helplessly. They could not do anything because the roof of the hut had collapsed. I was told that my two children and my grandchild had died in the fire.
"I am so devastated. I can't even imagine what could have happened," said Khanye.
A relative, Sine Khanye, said he received a call from a neighbour telling him of the tragedy in the morning.
"We made a report to the police. They attended the scene and took the remains to the mortuary.
"We suspect that the children lit a candle or made a fire, resulting in the hut burning down. It's unfortunate that nobody heard them scream. When neighbours saw the fire, it was already too late," he said.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North chair-person Richard Moyo confirmed the incident, saying the government would assist the family to bury their children. "It's very sad. We're really sorry about what happened and this is a loss to Umguza District and Matabeleland North Province. The provincial administrator has been informed and the government is planning to assist the family," said Moyo.
Source - Chronicle
