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Prince Ngwenya, [email protected]

A WOMAN and her daughter escaped being burnt by fire at their home in a suspected case of arson in Bulawayo’s Makokoba Suburb.

In a statement, Bulawayo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the incident occurred on 15 March, around 9 pm.

He said the unknown suspect is still at large.

“Circumstances are that on the 15th of March 2024 at around 2100 hours, the complainant a female adult aged 34 of Makokoba, Bulawayo locked the outer door of her 2-roomed house and retired to bed with her daughter aged 19, in the same room. At around 0400 hours early the next day morning, the complainant’s daughter was awakened by smoke that was in the house and flames that were outside the entrance doorstep of the room they were sleeping in. She then alerted her mother who woke up and tried to extinguish the fire from inside using water buckets while screaming for help from their neighbours who helped put out the fire from outside,” he said.

Insp Ncube said the suspect used a flammable liquid along with a doormat taken from the complainant’s neighbour to start the fire.

“A police report was then made. It was observed that the door was slightly scotched from outside and no one was injured. The unknown accused person burnt a doormat and a blanket which were taken from the neighbour’s precast wall. He or she might have used a flammable liquid to start the fire. No arrest was made and the suspect was not located,” he said.

“We urge members of the public not to use violence whenever they are settling their disputes as this may lead to unnecessary loss of lives,” said Insp Ncube.