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Thubelihle Mabhena Chronicle Reporter
A 19-YEAR-OLD shop assistant died after suffering serious burns when a grocery shop caught fire while he was allegedly selling petrol. The incident happened on Wednesday at about 6PM in Mbome village, Matobo District, when Praymore Tshuma was serving a customer who wanted petrol. It is alleged that Tshuma lit a match resulting in the fire which also gutted the whole shop.

He sustained serious burns and was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where he later died at around 4AM on Thursday.

Praymore’s uncle, Nhlanhla Tshuma, said he last spoke to his nephew at around 5PM on Wednesday when he was about to knock off at the grocery shop.

Tshuma, who denied that the shop sells petrol, alleged that Praymore was pouring fuel into a container for their generator which is used at their homestead.

“The fire ignited the petrol container and the gas refrigerators which exploded. We don’t know how the fire started but people who were outside the shop said they spotted one of our neighbours running out of the shop when the fire started,” said Tshuma.

“Shortly after he fled, Praymore ran out of the shop screaming for help engulfed in flames. Villagers managed to douse the fire and Praymore was rushed to St Joseph clinic,” he said.

Tshuma said Praymore was transferred to Maphisa Hospital where an ambulance ferried him to United Bulawayo Hospitals at around 2AM on Thursday.

He said the suspected neighbour’s mother told him that her son did not return home on the very day the incident happened. He is still at large. Tshuma said they were looking for the man so that they establish what exactly happened.

Mourners are gathered in Mbome village under Chief Malaba.

Tshuma said his nephew will be buried tomorrow.

MP for Matobo South, Soul Ncube, appealed to villagers who own shops to place refrigerator gas cylinders outside their buildings to prevent such incidences from happening.

“If villagers construct gas cylinder sheds outside the building it would be easier to turn out the fire if it breaks out. I also appeal to shop owners to refrain from selling fuel,” said Cde Ncube.

Three children were burnt beyond recognition while a fourth died on the way to hospital after a fire gutted a shop they were sleeping in. The incident happened in Tshipisane village in the same district on December 20, last year.

Family members identified the children as Mbongiseni Dube, 2, Thandolwenkosi Bhebhe, 3, Gugulethu Dube, 9, and Iphithule Dube, 11.

It is alleged that Limukani Mnguni, 20, left a gas stove on and it ignited a petrol container which exploded in the children’s bedroom.

Mnguni, who was sleeping with the children, was admitted to the United Bulawayo Hospitals with severe burns where she died a month later.