By CHILA NAMAIKO and MARISA MWAPE –

A WOMAN, her two children and her sister have died in a fire that swept through their house in Livingstone while asleep.
Janet Michelo, 35, died with her two children, Chipengo Michelo, aged six, Chileleko Habamba, four. Her sister Edna Michelo, was 22 years old.
The incident happened on Tuesday around 20:00 hours in Dambwa Central Township.
The four were trapped in their bedroom after the fire engulfed the entire house, leaving them with no escape route.
Southern Province Police Chief, Mary Chikwanda, said the two women and children could not escape through the window because of the burglar bars that had been fitted.
“Richwell Hambalu, 45, a landlord of 1366 Villa Estates, Dambwa Central Township in Livingstone, reported that the house for his tenant Janet Michelo caught fire and four people died,” she said.
Police suspect that Ms Michelo could have left a candle burning after everyone in the house fell asleep and in the process, it ignited some household goods.
In Kitwe, a 14-year-old boy drowned on Monday afternoon after being swept away by a strong current on the Kafue River while swimming.
Emmanuel Mukosha of Chipata Township was swimming with his friends near the Nkana East Water Treatment Plant when he was swept away by the current.
The body was retrieved yesterday around 06:00 hours by the boy’s father who had been searching for the body from the time the drowning was reported.
Kitwe Fire Brigade Station officer Gilbert Nyimbiri said his team received a report of the boy drowning on Monday around 16:00 hours and immediately rushed to the scene.