A Couple and their four month old child have allegedly suffocated to death in Chingola district on the Copperbelt Province after a lit candle caused a fire and smoke.
The couple who are caretakers of the house are believed to have been found by their housemate who lives in a different room from theirs.
Copperbelt Province commanding officer Peacewell Mweemba said the incident occurred yesterday, December 14th.
He said the incident was reported by Teddy Simukoko, that a couple and their baby died in a house fire which may have caused them to suffocate.
Mr Mweemba said the couples names are Peter Katuta, Agnes Miyambo and Precious Katuta, their child aged four months.
"Brief facts are that the reporter (housemate) is an Electrician and stays with the couple in the same house, but in different rooms. The couple are caretakers of the said house."
"On December 13, around 06:00 hours, the reporter left for work, leaving the couple at home. Around 20:00 hours,he knocked off from work ,but went straight at a nearby funeral house and went back home on December 14th around 02:30 hours," he said.
Mr Mweemba said when he opened the door, he noticed smoke in the house coming from the couple's bedroom and he tried to call on the names of the couple ,but could not get any response.
He called for help from neighbours who went and broke the bedroom door and windows after noticing that there was a fire in the bedroom and when they entered they managed to put off the fire using water.
"Unfortunately the occupants had already suffocated to death. The scene of crime was visited and the Police found the dead bodies of the couple and their child on the mattress in the room.The room was inspected and nothing got burnt and it was observed that the house is connected to electricity ,but there was no bulb in the bedroom the couple was using as they were instead using a candle which was left burning on a wooden chair," he said.
Mr Mweemba said when the candle finished,the chair caught fire and there was alot of smoke in the house which could have suffocated the occupants to death.
"Fire brigade officers were also informed and they rushed to the scene and found the fire had already been put out.The three dead bodies have since been deposited in Nchanga north general hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem and burial," he said.
Credit: Mwebantu
