Two Children Burnt Beyond Recognition As Fuel Sold From Home Catches Fire

Two young boys died in a fire that gutted a house near Mukumbura Border Post in the early hours of Sunday, in a tragedy suspected to be linked to the illegal storage of fuel.

The victims, Dean (10) and Dwayne (4), were burnt beyond recognition after flames engulfed their home, which belonged to their father, Doban Vambe.

Vambe sustained severe burns while attempting to rescue his children and is currently receiving treatment at Mount Darwin District Hospital.

According to Mt Darwin District Development Coordinator, White Nkoma, the fire is believed to have broken out while Vambe, who is alleged to have been involved in illegal fuel trading, was attending to a client.

Preliminary indications suggest the blaze may have started from a fireplace before spreading rapidly to petrol stored inside the house, triggering an inferno that quickly consumed the property.

“The dealer was serving a client when the fire started from the fireplace to the fuel being sold, and flames got into a room where there were more stocks of fuel. There was also a gas tank in the house,” said Nkoma.

The blaze intensified quickly and consumed the entire house, reducing a kombi parked nearby to a charred shell.

The incident has reignited serious concerns over the dangers associated with the storage and informal trade of fuel in residential areas, where even a minor spark can trigger catastrophic consequences.

Officials from the Department of Civil Protection are expected to conduct further investigations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

More: The Herald

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