By Rahim Abdul
A devastating fire incident in Monkey Bay, Mangochi District, has claimed the lives of four people and left one survivor hospitalized, following a blaze that erupted inside a family home.
The tragedy occurred in the area under Traditional Authority Nankumba, where a family home was engulfed in flames after petrol stored indoors ignited.
Authorities have identified the deceased as a woman, Rose Magoya and her three children, all of whom sustained fatal injuries during the incident.
According to police in Monkey Bay, the fire started under unfortunate and avoidable circumstances involving fuel handling within the house.
Police spokesperson Kondwani James confirmed the accident explaining that the father of the household had earlier drained petrol from a vehicle and stored it inside the house.
He reportedly instructed his children to help move the containers into the house, unaware of the danger that would soon unfold.
During the process, one of the children accidentally slipped, causing the petrol to spill onto the floor.
The spilled fuel quickly spread across the room and reached a lit cooking stove, instantly igniting and sparking a fast moving fire.
Flames rapidly consumed the house, leaving the family with little chance to escape the inferno.
All victims were rushed to Mangochi District Hospital, where four the mother and her three children were pronounced dead upon arrival.
A relative, identified as Madalitso Enodi, survived the incident but remains admitted to the hospital receiving medical treatment.
Police have since issued a strong warning to the public on the dangers of storing flammable substances such as petrol inside homes, urging communities to adopt safer practices to prevent similar tragedies.
