A sombre mood has engulfed the residents of Gakoigo in Murang’a County following the death of four children in a fire incident.
First responders who arrived at the scene revealed that the fire, which broke out on Thursday night, completely destroyed the house while the children were asleep.
According to witnesses, the fire was first noticed by curious neighbours who spotted billows of smoke emanating from the house, prompting them to rush and check.
However, attempts to save the children proved futile as the fire quickly spread to all parts of the house, leaving the locals with no choice but to extinguish it.
After several hours of fighting the flames, the neighbours successfully put out the fire, however, the children had already been burnt beyond recognition.
Reports further revealed that three of the children were siblings, with the deceased including two boys and two girls.
Meanwhile, area police officers arrived at the scene and retrieved the charred bodies before transporting them to the mortuary. The cause of the fire is yet to be established.
The incident comes a fortnight after three children died in similar circumstances in Moburo, Kericho County, following a mysterious fire that destroyed their house.
The tragedy, which occurred on Saturday, December 7, took place after the minors were locked inside the house by one of the siblings who had gone to play with a friend.
Witnesses who spoke to the press disclosed that the parents of the three children were not at home at the time of the incident but had left a phone while charging.
Villagers believed that the the fire could have been caused by the charging phone which exploded, prompting the fire which burnt the house which had been constructed using timber and wood.
The residents put out the fire before police officers from the Cheborgei Police Station arrived at the scene and carried away their charred bodies to the Kapkatet Hospital Mortuary.
