Tragedy as inferno claims lives of two children in Maili Kumi

What remained of a house where two children died in a fire accident at Maili Kumi, Nyandarua County. [James Munyeki, Standard]

Grief has struck Maili Kumi village in Ndaragwa, Nyandarua County, after two minors perished in a fire accident on Sunday evening.

The two, aged four and two respectively, were asleep when the fire burnt down their entire house.

They had been left in the house when their mother went to a nearby shop to buy them supper.

Nyandarua County Police Commander Stella Cherono, who confirmed the incident, said that nothing was salvaged from their two-bedroom house.

"They had spent the day well but fell asleep in the evening. That is when the mother took the chance to go buy supper, only to be called and informed that their house was on fire," she said.

She noted that the mother rushed back only to find that her two children were stuck in the house.

A neighbour, Pauline Njoroge, said that they tried to put out the fire, but strong winds would not let it go.

She said that they called for assistance from the Nyandarua County government fire department, but the firefighting equipment took a long time to arrive.

"If they had responded quickly, the two minors would be alive," she lamented.
The bodies have since been moved to Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary.