Village in tears as two sisters die in home fire

By NICHOLAS ANYUOR

Homa Bay County

Two children were burnt to death after their house caught fire at Kotieno sub-location of Rachuonyo North District.

Ida Adhiambo, two, and her sister Joy Atieno, four, were burned beyond recognition when a curtain near their bed caught fire from a lamp.

Their mother, Caroline Achieng’ Opondo, said she had left her three children sleeping on Tuesday morning while she went to the lake to fetch water.

But when the eldest son Maxwell Otieno, five, woke up, he lit a lamp, which caused the accident. The fire spread throughout the house.

The shocked boy could not wake up the two sisters and instead ran away, leaving the siblings inside.

"Neighbours who saw the fire from afar came to help, but it was already late," the mother said.

Nothing we could do

A neighbour, Jacob Otieno, told The Standard: "We found the bodies already burned. The roof had caved in and there was nothing we could do to help. Everything got burnt."

OCPD Naomi Ichami said the minors could not be immediately rescued because there was no adult left at home.

She said property worth thousands of shillings was also destroyed.

"The house got burnt and nothing was salvaged. Neighbours realised there was a problem too late and the children had already succumbed," Ms Ichami said.

The charred remains of the minors were later taken to Gendia Mission Hospital Mortuary to await burial.

"It is a big blow to my family. I had only three children and two are now gone. It is painful. Everything I owned was also burnt in the house," the mother wept as the remains were driven away.