By ALICE NACHIEMBE
A-couple and their four months old baby of Chingola District in Lulamba stage 7 area have died due to suffocation after a fire which was caused by a burning candle.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba confirmed the development that a house in Lulamba caught fire which caused the death of three people, a couple and their baby.
Mr Mweemba said the incident happened yesterday around 02:30 hours after the couple left a burning candle on a wooden chair and when it finished the chair caught fire.
He identified the victims as Peter Katuta other details unknown, Agnes Miyambo 34, other details unknown and a baby girl Precious Katuta aged four months who died due to suffocation.
Mr Mweemba said brief facts are that the reporter is an Electrician and stays with the couple in the same house but in different rooms, as the couple are caretakers of the said house.
He said on December 13, 2023 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 came back home around 02:30 hours and 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 said
Mr Mweemba said the reporter called for help from neighbours who came 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 but unfortunately the occupants had already suffocated to death.
He said scene of crime was visited the Police found the dead bodies of the couple and their child on the mattress in the room.
Mr Mweemba noted the room was inspected and nothing got burnt and it was observed that the house is connected to electricity but there was no bub in the bedroom.
He added that the couple was instead using a candle which was left burning on a wooden chair and when it finished the chair caught fire
Mr Mweemba said that 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 to Nchanga North General Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and burial.
