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A burning hut

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
A 55-YEAR-OLD Mangwe man suffocated after his bedroom hut caught fire while he was asleep.

Chief Wasi said Elliot Moyo from Ngwanyana area died on Monday morning at around 7AM. He said Moyo, who was staying alone, is suspected to have fallen asleep while drunk on Sunday night.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by a candle.

“There is a man from Ngwanyana area who died after suffocating in his bedroom hut. Moyo’s neighbours found his bedroom hut on fire on Monday at around 7AM and he was inside.

“They teamed up and put out the fire before the hut was completely destroyed. The villagers gained access into the hut and found Moyo lying on the corner of his bed which had been partly burnt. Moyo didn’t have any visible burns suggesting that he could have been suffocated by the smoke,” he said.

The village head of the area, Mr Herbert Tshuma, said Moyo was last seen alive on Sunday night at Ngwanyana Business Centre where he was drinking with his friends.

He said Moyo left the business centre at around 10PM and went home.

“Moyo was heavily intoxicated when he left the business centre and that was the last time he was seen alive. On Monday morning at around 7AM, one of his neighbours realised that there was thick smoke coming from Moyo’s bedroom hut.

“He alerted other villagers who teamed up and put out the fire. We suspect that since Moyo was drunk when he went to bed, he forgot to put out the candle. It appears though the fire started from the bed which means that he had placed it on the bed,” said Mr Tshuma.

He said all the property that was in the hut was destroyed by the fire.

@DubeMatutu