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Remember Deketeke and Trust Freddy
TWO siblings Atidaishe (10) and Atipaishe (8) Makechemu, who died in a family room in Harare’s Kuwadzana 4 suburb last Sunday, were victims of asphyxiation after inhaling carbon monoxide from a burning pot of rice in an almost sealed room, autopsy results have shown.
Usually charcoal braziers cause these deaths when lit in sealed rooms, but incinerating a pot of rice in the same circumstances will generate the carbon monoxide.
The cause of death came out at an emotional burial ceremony at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare yesterday where the children’s uncle, Mr Augustine Makechemu, read out part of the post mortem report in his graveside eulogy.
Two other siblings aged 14 and four as well as their mother, survived the ordeal after being found unconscious and quickly resuscitated.
According to the post mortem results, asphyxiation was the cause of the death of the two minors who inhaled carbon monoxide produced when a potful of rice was burnt to ash inside a poorly ventilated room at the family’s residence.
Mr Makechemu, elder brother to the father of the children, Mr Edward Makechemu, dispelled rumours swirling in their neighbourhood that the victims had died of poisoning.
“This post mortem report rubbishes all the allegations that the mother Mrs Clara Muronda Makechemu poisoned the children after a domestic dispute with her husband,” he said.
“The children died of gas poisoning from the burnt rice she was cooking early in the morning so that the kids could have something to eat when she was attending a church service since she is a devout Catholic.”
Mr Makechemu said the family has apologised for earlier accusing the mother of murdering the children.
“I would like to apologise for what David and other family members did when they labelled her a murderer of her own kids,” he said.
A sister to Mrs Clara Muronda Makechemu, whose identity The Herald could not ascertain as the family was hostile towards the media for earlier publishing the story, said: “On arrival at the hospital, it was observed that my sister had a head injury and that one of the children who eventually died, had burns on a hand.”
Earlier in the week, police said their investigations revealed that the victims were found lying unconscious in a room that was engulfed in smoke.
“There was a pot of rice burnt to ashes on the stove. The victims were referred to a local clinic in Kuwadzana where Atidaishe Makechemu (10) and Atipaishe Makechemu (8) died on admission,” said police in a statement.
When The Herald visited the victim’s residence earlier in the week, the atmosphere was tense, with neighbours offering different explanations for the tragedy.
“It is a tragedy that has left us all in shock,” a vendor who operates close to the house said. “We are still trying to come to terms with what happened.”
An elderly woman who was at the residence who only identified herself as the victims’ grandmother, was very emotional and accused the media of misrepresenting facts, adding to the agony of the family.
“Please excuse us. If you continue to write false information, it will only cause more pain to our family. Give us our space. The person who really knows what transpired is not available and we will provide more details once we have laid our loved ones to rest.”
The autopsy report however, has quashed all rumours that had been peddled by relatives and neighbours in a week of high tension and emotions which ended yesterday.
Online Reporter