Source: Mothers share pain of losing seven children in inferno – herald
Parents and guardians of the seven pupils who were burnt to death after the commuter omnibus they were travelling in caught fire in Senga suburb on Wednesday gather at Gweru Central Police station yesterday. – Picture: Patrick Chitumba.Patrick Chitumba-Midlands Bureau Chief
A DISTURBING dream, an unexplained sense of dread and a tragedy that would shatter families forever.
For two Gweru mothers, Wednesday began with ominous signs that, hours later, would culminate in the devastating loss of their children in a commuter omnibus fire that claimed the lives of seven pupils.
Mrs Siphiwe Karingira woke up on Wednesday morning troubled by a recurring dream in which she was repeatedly tilling a maize field. Unable to shake off the feeling that something was wrong, she shared the dream with her friend, Ms Nokuthula Ngwenya, as they prepared to go about their day.
What neither woman knew was that within hours, they would receive heartbreaking news that would change their lives forever.
Mrs Karingira’s child, Albert Chenamikumbi, and Ms Ngwenya’s daughter, Alisha Loyo, were among the seven learners who perished in the commuter omnibus inferno near Matongo Primary School in Senga suburb, Gweru.
“On Tuesday night, going into Wednesday morning, I kept dreaming as if I was in a field, ploughing maize repeatedly. In the morning, I told Mai Amanda about it,” said Mrs Karingira in an emotional interview at Gweru Central Police Station yesterday morning.
Mrs Karingira and Ms Ngwenya are among the parents of the children who died in the horrific inferno after a commuter omnibus carrying pupils caught fire at around 1pm.
They, together with other parents and guardians, gathered at Gweru Central Police Station, where police and officials from various Government departments assisted them in identifying the charred remains of their loved ones.
Mrs Karingira, who works in the Central Business District, said she had felt unusually weak on the day of the tragedy and decided not to go to work.
“I work in town but yesterday (Wednesday) I could not go. I was weak, I could feel that something was wrong,” she said.
Speaking in a subdued voice, she paused often as she recalled the events of that morning.
According to some cultural beliefs, dreaming of tilling or preparing a field is associated with death or the loss of a loved one. Ms Ngwenya recalled warning her friend after hearing about the dream.
“She told me that she had dreamt she was tilling a field. I told her that, from what I had heard, such dreams can mean death,” said Ms Ngwenya, her voice trembling with emotion.
Hours later, tragedy struck.
“When I received the message about the accident, I immediately informed her. She did not believe me,” said Ms Ngwenya.
The two women travelled together to the scene, where their worst fears would be confirmed. Fighting back tears, Ms Ngwenya said she could not bring herself to look at the burning vehicle.
“I didn’t even look at the kombi. I went to the school and asked my child’s friend if they had seen her leave the kombi, but no one saw her,” she said quietly.
Ms Ngwenya said they were told to go home, but in her heart she already knew that their children had died. “They were made to sit at the back because they are always the last ones to be dropped off. One of their friends forgot her satchel in her classroom and, when she came back, the kombi crew made her sit in front and that’s how she survived,” she said.
According to police, the devastating incident occurred when a commuter omnibus carrying 24 pupils caught fire and was reduced to a shell. Seventeen children managed to escape from the burning vehicle, while seven others were trapped inside and lost their lives.
In response to the tragedy, President Mnangagwa declared the incident a national disaster, paving the way for Government assistance to the affected families.
Meanwhile, the three adults injured in the incident — the driver, the conductor and a female passenger — have since been discharged from Gweru Provincial Hospital after receiving treatment. Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing as the nation mourns one of the worst road transport tragedies involving schoolchildren in recent years.
Gweru District Development Coordinator, Mr Tarisai Mudadigwa, said the Government had activated civil protection protocols to assist the families of the seven pupils.
He said a multi-agency response team had been deployed to provide immediate social support to affected families and schools.
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