Three Siblings Burnt to Death in Kapiri Mposhi House Fire

Three children from the same family have died after a grass-thatched house they were sleeping in caught fire in Nalubwe Village, Chipepo area of Kapiri Mposhi District in Central Province.

The victims have been identified as Jonathan Lyampali, 11, Francina Lyampali, nine, and Roydah Lyampali, six.

According to a report published by Kalemba on October 26, 2026, the incident occurred between 20:00 and 21:00 hours on Saturday, October 24, as Zambia celebrated Independence Day.

Central Province Police Commanding Officer Lemekani Chirwa confirmed the incident, stating that police received a report from Shadreck Kalusa, 53, of Sheleni Village, on behalf of the children's mother, Eunice Shensempe.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Shensempe had left the children sleeping in the house at around 20:00 hours before going to Kapandwe Market.

She reportedly told police that she had closed the door without locking it and had not left any fire burning inside the house.

While at the market, Shensempe received a telephone call from her mother, Roydah Musema, who informed her that the house had caught fire and all three children had died.

Information gathered at the scene indicates that the children's grandmother heard them crying for help and rushed to rescue them. However, she reportedly found the door tied with wire and was unable to open it.

Police officers visited the scene and confirmed the fire incident, with the bodies of the three children found inside the house.

The bodies were later retrieved and taken to Kabwe Central Hospital mortuary, where they were deposited awaiting postmortem examinations.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and police investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The tragedy comes approximately one month after the children's parents reportedly separated in September 2026. The couple, Eunice Shensempe and Jonathan Lyampali, married in 2016 and had four children together.

Following their separation, Shensempe left the matrimonial home in Nchepeshi Village and moved to her parents' home in Nalubwe Village with three of the children, while the eldest child remained with the father.

The deths of the three siblings have left the family facing a devastating loss as authorities continue investigating the fatal house fire.