Three family members die in brazier tragedy

A COUPLE and their minor child in Beitbridge district died due to suspected suffocation after inhaling carbon monoxide from a brazier (imbaula/mbaura) that was left burning in the bedroom overnight.

It is understood that the toxic gas may kill someone within two hours of inhalation. Th e trio, all from Zezani area, some 130km west of Beitbridge town, are reported to have met their fate on Saturday evening.

A brazier is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel and can be used for cooking, heating and cultural rites.

Sources close to the case said the bodies of Lemohang Tlou, his wife and baby, who are yet to be named, were discovered by relatives yesterday morning.

They then alerted Zezani Police who then ferried the remains to Beitbridge District Hospital pending postmortems.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the case yesterday.

“I can confirm that we are investigating a sudden death case and though the postmortems are still pending, it is suspected that they could have been suffocated by a brazier they had used to warm themselves through the night,” he said.

The offi cial said more details will be released in due course.

Cases of death related to fires are common in the country during the fire season which runs mostly from end of July to end of October yearly.

Over 10 properties in Beitbridge have been affected by fires related mostly to illegal storage of fuel in households in the last 12 months.