Boy, 11, Dies In Tsolamosese House Inferno

Pini Bothoko | Monday February 3, 2020 16:54

 

An 11-year-old boy died while his uncle was badly burnt in a house inferno that occurred early Sunday morning.

The duo was sleeping alongside a nine-year-old boy who escaped with minor injuries.

Mogoditshane police station commander, Superintendent Russ Letsebe told The Monitor that the little boy who escaped with minor injuries was treated and released from hospital the same day.

Letsebe said the little boys’ uncle, who is 50, is currently fighting for his life at Princess Marina Hospital.

The uncle had on the fateful night went to take his nephews from their mothers’ places to spend the night with them at Tsolamosese.

“We have not yet determined the cause of the fire, but since the house is not connected to electricity we suspect a candle might have been used. We suspect a candle might have caused the fire whilst the trio was fast asleep. The blaze destroyed everything that was inside the house,” explained Letsebe.

He said the matter was reported to the police who rushed to the scene and on arrival they helped put off the fire as well as taking the victims to the hospital.

The Monitor team visited the mourning family yesterday and viewed the room destroyed by the inferno. Approached for a cooment, a woman who identified herself as the aunt to the deceased declined, saying besides her age, it was still too early for the family to speak to the media.

“I am not in a position to speak on behalf of the family looking at my age. The elders who could speak on behalf of the family are not here. The mother to the deceased is around, but she is not in a position to be interviewed because the matter is still fresh,” she said.

The aunt added that the deceased’s father was still away from home. Another woman who identified herself as the family elder, but could not proffer her names, said she heard the sad news in the morning as she resides elsewhere.

“The incident occurred whilst I was not here hence I cannot comment any further on the matter,” she said.