Pregnant mother, three children die in house fire

Rebecca Kuku
A PREGNANT mother and her three children died when their home caught fire early yesterday morning following a strong aftershock in Southern Highlands.
Ialibu police station commander Mack Anema said the woman, believed to be eight months pregnant, and her children were asleep when he fire engulfed the house at Riro village, Wangai, Kewabi LLG in the Ialibu-Pangia district.
The aftershock measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. It hit at about 12.13am.
The tremor was felt in areas still recovering from the 7.5 magnitude earthquake which hit 10 days earlier.
According to a source at the district administration office, the three children were aged five, seven and 12.
“The woman and the three children all died. The whole house was completely razed as well,” the source said.
The source said villagers tried to put the fire out but were too late to save anything.
The woman’s husband and two other two children had spent the night at Ialibu station with relatives.
Plans were being made to bury the family either yesterday or today.