Mysterious fires torment family
A family of seven at Epandulo village near Eheke in the Oshana Region are living in fear of mysterious fires that have been scorching their homestead since last November.
They now live in a mahangu field in a tent that was provided by the regional council.
According to 71-year-old Flavia Erastus the fires first started last November when her room burnt down.
“My room, which was a traditional hut, burned down completely but people who were in the house managed to rescue some of my belongings. Nobody knew where the fire came from. This room was then replaced with a corrugated iron room, which again mysteriously burnt down on Sunday evening,” she said.
Since Sunday, the fire has destroyed four more rooms in the house, leaving the family without documentation, clothes, school uniforms, books for the children and food. “On Sunday, we were just busy in the kitchen area preparing dinner when we saw fire coming from my room. By the time we got there, everything was already in ashes and we could not save anything. All my belongings and national documents for the family members have been lost in this fire. “We are living in fear. We've never seen anything mysterious like this. We usually hear about this but now that it's affecting us, it makes us frightened,” Erastus said.
“We are currently living in a tent because we are afraid that if we stay in the house, it may cause death or injuries,” she said.
Ondangwa Rural constituency councillor Kaushiweni Abraham said the only thing his office can do is provide a tent and food because some of the family's food items had also been destroyed.
“When the incident was reported to our office, we sent officials to make an assessment as well as a report, and it was found that we need to assist them with shelter and food. For other items such as the national documents, they can be assisted through the village headman. We will keep monitoring their situation,” Abraham said.
ILENI NANDJATO
They now live in a mahangu field in a tent that was provided by the regional council.
According to 71-year-old Flavia Erastus the fires first started last November when her room burnt down.
“My room, which was a traditional hut, burned down completely but people who were in the house managed to rescue some of my belongings. Nobody knew where the fire came from. This room was then replaced with a corrugated iron room, which again mysteriously burnt down on Sunday evening,” she said.
Since Sunday, the fire has destroyed four more rooms in the house, leaving the family without documentation, clothes, school uniforms, books for the children and food. “On Sunday, we were just busy in the kitchen area preparing dinner when we saw fire coming from my room. By the time we got there, everything was already in ashes and we could not save anything. All my belongings and national documents for the family members have been lost in this fire. “We are living in fear. We've never seen anything mysterious like this. We usually hear about this but now that it's affecting us, it makes us frightened,” Erastus said.
“We are currently living in a tent because we are afraid that if we stay in the house, it may cause death or injuries,” she said.
Ondangwa Rural constituency councillor Kaushiweni Abraham said the only thing his office can do is provide a tent and food because some of the family's food items had also been destroyed.
“When the incident was reported to our office, we sent officials to make an assessment as well as a report, and it was found that we need to assist them with shelter and food. For other items such as the national documents, they can be assisted through the village headman. We will keep monitoring their situation,” Abraham said.
ILENI NANDJATO
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