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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
A MAN from Bulawayo was burnt to death after a room he was sleeping in caught fire in a slum in Trenance suburb. Siphosiso Moyo (46), an alleged drunkard and a chain smoker, died following a fire that is suspected to have been caused by a cigarette stub.

Moyo was alone when the fire incident occurred on Monday just before midnight.

Bulawayo Fire Brigade Senior Divisional Officer Mr Edward Mpofu confirmed the incident.

“We attended a fire incident in Trenance suburb where a 46-year-old man died after a fire engulfed his room. We suspect that the fire could have been caused by a cigarette stub. The victim, we were told, was a chain smoker and a heavy drinker and lived alone,” he said.

Mr Mpofu said the Fire Brigade found him already dead in a shack at a slum in Trenance suburb. “We received the call at 0008hrs and we arrived at the scene eight minutes later. When we arrived at the scene, the residents had already extinguished the fire but he was already dead. It seems he had locked himself in the room and his body was found at his door facing up,” he said.

Mr Mpofu warned members of the public against smoking in their rooms. He challenged residents to be on alert as the country is in the fire season.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said they did not suspect any foul play in the man’s death.

She said Moyo’s neighbour called other people but they could not save him from the raging inferno.

“His neighbour is the one who alerted others of the inferno. He was last seen coming from a nearby bottle store with a male colleague who left his house at 8:30PM. And towards midnight one of the neighbours heard unusual sounds only to discover that it was fire coming from his room. We are treating the case as sudden death. No foul play is suspected,” she said.

Chief Insp Simango said Moyo’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for post mortem. The incident occurred a day after three minor children were burnt to death in their family’s homestead in Tsholotsho on Saturday in an inferno triggered by a candle. — @nqotshili.