A 20-YEAR-OLD man, Leeroy Mpofu, of Guduza village, under Chief Sogwala in Lower Gwelo, the Midlands province, died in an inferno after a butchery in which he was sleeping caught fire.
The incident occurred at around 8:30pm on Tuesday at Mission Business Centre, Southern Eye has learnt.
It is alleged that on the night, Darlington Mufundisi (28), who works in a neighbouring shop, heard a bursting sound and some screaming voices from the butchery.
Mfundisi went outside and discovered that the butchery was on fire, with Mpofu trapped inside.
He alerted other people who were at the business centre, but they failed to put out the fire.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway to establish the cause of the fire.
He said police were informed and they attended the scene, where they found a body in the butchery.
“We confirm having received a report of sudden death, where a 20-year-old man was burnt to death in an inferno,” he said.
- Man (20) perishes in butchery inferno
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“The incident took place in a butchery at Mission Business Centre, Lower Gwelo, on October 15, 2024 at about 2030 hours.
“The now-deceased, Leeroy Mpofu, of Guduza Village, under Chief Sogwala, Lower Gwelo, was employed by Nkosana Sibanda, a man aged 45, from the same Lower Gwelo area, as a butchery attendant at Mission Business Centre, Lower Gwelo.”
Sibanda, the butchery owner, said he had spoken to the deceased’s family and they reached an agreement that he should take care of all the funeral logistics.
Mpofu’s family refused to comment on the incident.
