By Nuru Salim
An 11-year-old girl has died after a fire razed down a rental house in Mbuyuni village, Timbwani Ward in Likoni.
The tragic incident occurred at around 2am on Saturday, leaving residents devastated and a family grappling with the loss of a child and all their belongings.
According to Fatuma Ziki, one of the residents of the six-roomed house, the fire broke out while two children were asleep and quickly engulfed the building. Their mother was reportedly away visiting a sick relative at the time of the incident.
Efforts to save the children were hampered by heavy smoke and intense heat. Edwin Omunanga, a neighbour, managed to rescue one of the children but sustained injuries as a gas cylinder exploded during his second attempt to save the other child hence worsening the inferno.
“Everyone managed to escape with their lives, but we could not save anything from the house and the child. We lost everything,” Omunanga said.
Area village elder Mzee Munga said residents made emergency calls to the county fire brigade, but their response was delayed due to poor road access.
“The families have been left with nothing – no clothes, food or even mobile phones. They are in desperate need of help,” Munga added, urging both the county as well as well-wishers, to support the affected families.
The mother of the deceased child, who arrived at the scene after the fire had been extinguished, was rushed to Likoni district Hospital in shock. She is currently in stable condition and receiving treatment.
Likoni Sub-county Police Commander Geoffrey Ruheni confirmed the incident and said investigations into the cause of the fire were underway. The body of the deceased was moved to the Coast General Hospital mortuary.
