Man dies in Mwanza after fire razes down his shop

Malawi Police are investigating the cause of fire that gutted down a shop belonging to Josiah Soda, aged 30 and hails from Kalanga Village Sub Traditional Authority Govati in Mwanza District.

The owner of the shop, who was seriously injured by the fire, breathed his last at Mwanza District Hospital on Tuesday 1st September, 2015.

According to Mwanza Police Public Relations Officer Sergeant Victoria Chirwa, the incident happened on 30th August, 2015 at around 11:00pm.

Chirwa said according to eye witnesses, the late Soda was drinking with his three colleagues at his bar and at around 11 o’clock, the deceased went to his shop to sleep after he got drunk.

“The eye witnesses said few minutes after he had entered into his shop, they saw the shop on fire and with Soda shouting for help. They broke the window to rescue him”

“By then he was seriously burnt and was rushed to Mwanza District Hospital where he died yesterday (Tuesday)” Chirwa told Nyasa Times.

The Police Spokesperson said several groceries and assorted house hold items which were in the shop were burnt but could not reveal the total value as investigations are still underway.

She said before his death, he told Police from his hospital bed that he did not know the cause of the fire.