A two-year-old girl, Ketrina Kamowa , has died in a fierce fire that gutted a tea room that her mother owns and operates.

She was reportedly cooking “masanje” with her two elder sisters aged 4 and 6.

Spokesperson of the Mangochi police, Amina Daudi, confirmed that the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Busiri Village, Traditional Authority Chowe, in Mangochi

“Accidentally, the fire caught part of the structure which quickly spread to the tea room and the shop. In an attempt to save some items, the mother, along with some well-wishers, entered the shop.

“Unfortunately, the child followed them inside, where she became trapped, suffered severe burns, and died on the spot according to medical reports,” said Daudi.

Postmortem results at Mangochi District Hospital showed that death was due to severe burns.