Four siblings burned to death in a shingled house in the October neighborhood of Ahmed Dhagax district in Hargeisa city after their angry father set it on fire.
The children, three boys and one girl, all under the age of 10, died in the house after their father locked them in the attic and set it on fire, causing all the children to drown, according to firefighters.
“We saw the house on fire, I said, ‘Waar Hamsow, get the children out of the house,’ he said, ‘Leave us alone, don’t burn us,’ and then he walked away,” a female witness told MMTV.
According to firefighters, the father of the children set the fire on his children, and the father and mother of the children had a dispute, which they were fighting in court. Only a young breastfeeding girl, who was with her mother, survived the fire. The children’s bodies were taken to the main hospital in Hargeisa.
“We didn’t think there were children in the house, we didn’t know it was alone. We heard the children crying, and the house was burning from below and was burning badly. The oldest child was eight years old, and they were three boys and one girl,” Deeqa, who witnessed the incident, told MMTV.
Another witness said: “The woman and the man were in court together, and then the children were signed over to the girl this morning. They were told to bring the children, and Dee, these are the children who burned.”
A statement issued by the fire service said that the father accused of this brutal act was caught while fleeing and is currently being held by the CID.
“The Commander of the Somaliland Fire and Rescue Service, Brigadier General Ahmed Mohamed Hassan (Sawaxili), shares his sorrow with the bereaved family. We pray to God to grant them a better life. Amen, Amen, Amen,” the statement said.
Former Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, who was among those who sent his condolences to the bereaved family, said: “I extend my deepest condolences to the family,
The families and the JSL nation mourn the loss of four siblings who died today in Hargeisa, Ahmed Dhagax district, after their home caught fire.
This incident has caused panic in the community, and has become a rare and unexpected event. Until now, the specific problem between the man and his wife that caused him to set fire to his own child has not been reported.
