Death of baby was an accident: Mum

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By ALPHONSE PORAU
THE mother of a baby boy who died in a fire in Port Moresby yesterday says it was an accident and she has no one to blame for his death.
Grieving mum Sharon Hengebe said she left her three-year-old son William Netan with her cousin sister Janai Hengebe when she went to work. They live in the suburb of Gerehu.
“All I know is that after washing the baby, I went and left him with the babysitter at the market and went to work,” she said. I was at the school and (heard about) an incident had occurred.
“So I went to the Gerehu police station. And while I was there, I heard the ambulance rushing someone to the hospital.
“When I went and asked, one of the ladies told me it was my son but it was an accident.”
She said police were investigating the matter. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, according to Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo.
Neighbours told her that the babysitter, her cousin sister Janai Hengbe, had left the market at Gerehu with William around noon to return to the family home.
She said neighbours saw the smoke coming out from the house and rushed to open the door. But it was locked from the inside. They managed to tear down the walls to enter.”
She said her cousin was already dead but her son died later at 7am yesterday in hospital.