Three toddlers perish in fire after mum leaves them to buy mandazi
Three children died on Tuesday morning in a morning inferno at Nairobi’s Mukuru-Kwa Njenga slum in Embakasi West.
Their mother collapsed upon learning of their death and was rushed to a Nairobi hospital for treatment.
Police identified the dead children as three-and-half-year-old Clinton Hamisi, one-year-and-seven-month old Daniel Sikanda and six-week-old Blessing Khaesta.
According to the area security chairman Dominic Njuguna, the incident took place at around 7.30am as their mother had gone to buy a morning snack.
Mr Njuguna said 18-year-old Celestine Machaga went for the short errand, leaving her children in the house alone with a stove on, which was cooking tea.
Her husband Geoffrey Machaga, a casual labourer had left to work before the incident happened.
“She had gone to buy mandazi for the children. A stove was boiling tea while the door had been locked from outside. She had not even bought the commodities before she heard screams and after turning back, she saw her house engulfed in flames. Those who responded first could not access the house due to the raging flames as the fire spread fast to other houses,” Mr Njuguna remarked.
He added that beddings, clothes, electronics and furniture were reduced to ashes in 20 houses.
The bodies were taken to the City Mortuary.