Two young brothers aged four and seven on Sunday were suffocated to death following a fire that trapped them while asleep when their mother was away in Area 36 Lilongwe.

According to Deputy Spokesperson for Lilongwe police station, Foster Benjamin, the mother allegedly left a burning candle on the refrigerator and went to the market to sell Mang’ina.

“Unfortunately, the refrigerator caught fire and its smoke engulfed the kids who failed to get out since the house was locked. When the mother returned, she found the house engulfed by smoke and her sons dead,” Benjamin said.

He said the both bodies were rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital pending for postmortem.

In a related development, an elderly woman, Margaret Mapemba, dead after her house caught fire at Tchoyo village in the area of Traditional Authority Kalumbu in Lilongwe.

Police are warning the public to avoid leaving burning candles when they are away from their houses.

Source: Mana