Two siblings have died in a fire after a fire razed down their house while they slept.
The two sisters, Linet Wairimu, 3, and Olivia Njoki, 5 had allegedly been locked by their mother Phoebe Muthoni who sells coffee in Thika Town at night.
Residents of Jamhuri Market, Starehe Estate in Thika town woke up to the sad news where the girls were burnt beyond recognition.
Muthoni allegedly left the house at 10pm and on returning at 3am, she found the inferno that took away the lives of her two daughters.
The neighbours tried to rescue the two girls who were screaming for help but in vain leaving most of them with injuries as they tried unlocking the house which had allegedly been locked from outside.
The fire brigade team arrived at the scene late allowing the fire to spread to more than 18 houses and other business premises around the estate.
Confirming the incident, Thika West OCPD Shadrack Maithya said that the cause of the fire is yet to be established though according to sources, a gas cylinder that was in the house might have burst causing the fire.
“We are probing what could have caused the fire. We do not want to speculate about the alleged gas cylinder that was in that house before establishing the exact cause,” the police boss said.
Maithya added that the incident is one of the worst to occur in the Sub-county in the recent past. He cautioned parents who have the tendency of locking up their kids in houses when they are away.
However the area residents could not hide their anger towards the reluctance and incompetence of the Thika Fire and Rescue team as they were unable to contain the fire.
The affected houses are part of the shanty county houses that were owned by the former Thika County Council.
The mother is currently in police custody for alllegd child negligence.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Thika Level Five Hospital morgue.