Mangochi house fire victim dies

The Seven year-old boy who was rescued from a fierce fire that caught a house at Makawa Village in Mangochi on Friday died Saturday evening due to severe burns he had sustained.

Malawi News Agency (MANA) had earlier reported that the boy was rushed to Mangochi District Hospital where he was referred to Zomba General Hospital for further medication.

Mangochi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub-Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi later told MANA the boy died Saturday evening in Zomba.

“The child died on Saturday at around 5 p.m. while receiving treatment at Zomba General Hospital where he had been referred for medication,” said Daudi in confirmation.

On Friday morning, fire gutted the house of Mr and Mrs Fred of Makawa Village in Mangochi and severely burned the seven-year-old boy while his two year-old sibling was rescued with no serious injuries.

According to Daudi, Mr and Mrs Fred had gone to Kela Fishing Dock for business, leaving the two children asleep and in care of an aunt, Amina Fred, 23.

But later in the morning, Amina also left for the dock to clean kitchen utensils. Back home, the children woke up and started playing with matches.

“One of the lit sticks fell on a sofa, causing fire that engulfed the sitting room before spreading to one of the bedrooms,” explained Daudi, adding that rescuers forced their way into the house and brought to safety the two-year-old in time.

But the seven-year-old boy had sought refuge under a bed. By the time the rescuers found him, he had sustained severe burns on his stomach and thighs, which eventually led to his death at Zomba General Hospital.