Zambia: House fire has claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy from Mansa District who was sleeping when his family home caught fire. The accident happened on Saturday of the previous week and he died after the family house he was sleeping in caught fire.
The fire did not claim any more lives and the rest of the family members survived the fire. Ireen Chivweta, Mansa District Commissioner, shared that the house fire broke out on Saturday, 11 January 2025 in Musenga Site and Service.
The identity of the victim has been confirmed in police records and the time of the fire breakout has also been confirmed.
District Commissioner Chivweta has identified the deceased as Joshua Chikombe. The victim’s remains have been deposited at Mansa General Hospital Mortuary and are awaiting postmortem and burial.
The inferno whose source is still unknown started around midnight while the family was asleep in the house. According to the leadership, the fire has also destroyed the house and household property worth over K 850,000 leaving the family homeless.
Mansa District Commissioner Chivweta visited the funeral house to assess the situation and pay her tribute to the family. She further said that the Police are investigating the cause of the fire. District Commissioner Chivweta has since donated goods worth K7,200 to the family which included mattresses and some food stuffs to the family.
District Commissioner Chivweta has extended her condolences on the death of the victim and hoped that the family will be able to deal with this crisis. The members of the community have also come forward to extend their support.
Meanwhile, father to the deceased boy, Jeff Chikombe has appreciated the District Commissioner Chivweta for coming to the aid of the family. Chikombe has also called on the government to offer jobs to his two daughters who have recently finished their tertiary education in Nursing and Teaching as they may help the family recover from the loss as he was the only breadwinner in the family.