A 20-year-old woman identified as Saudiya Nsomba has died while her 35-year-old husband has been hospitalized at Mangochi District Hospital after sustaining severe burns following fuel explosion at their home.
Mangochi Police Public Relations Officer, Amina Tepani Daudi, has disclosed that the accident happened yesterday at Limbalire village, within Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in the district.
According to police investigations, the couple was involved in the petrol black market business at Chisopi Trading Centre and they had stored petrol inside their home.
It is alleged that on this fateful day, the wife was sitting on a container containing petrol while cooking.
The container caught fire, leading to the rapid spread of flames throughout the entire house and resulting in the immediate death of the wife.
The husband managed to escape, though with severe burns.
He was rushed to Mulibwanji Mission Hospital and subsequently referred to Mangochi District Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Postmortem results have confirmed that the cause of death of the woman is severe burns.
The deceased, Saudiya Nsomba, was a resident of Limbalire village within Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi.
By Saidi Winnes
