A PROMINENT Karoi fuel dealer, Adam Kaponda was burnt to death in an inferno at his rented house in Chikangwe last week Friday.
The deceased, popularly known as Mafuta, was among three people who were trapped in a house in Chikangwe high-density suburb which they were using to store fuel.
It is understood that Kaponda and two others had a “fuel business transaction” in the room before disaster struck around midday.
A ball of fire reportedly engulfed them in a small room that had petrol and diesel.
Two others managed to escape through the window when the fire broke out are currently in critical condition at Chinhoyi Provincial hospital.
Witnesses said Kaponda was left inside the room after he was choked by smoke from the fire.
"Kaponda was trapped inside the house. Unfortunately, he could not escape through the window due to his weight. We had to break the door to pull him out,” said one witness, Robert Mudenga.
Kaponda, who was a tenant at the house, died on his way to the hospital.
Efforts by neighbours to extinguish the fire failed after the fire spread to other rooms.
There was no immediate police comment at the time of writing.
