A five-year-old girl identified as Angeth Arou Deng was burnt to death on Wednesday evening when their house caught fire in Marial-baai Payam of Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, police say.
Aweil West County police inspector, Major Deng Mathon Akot told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, that initial investigations indicate that the child alongside two others was left home alone.
"The fire outbreak occurred in Marial-baai Payam at 6 pm. Three children entered their house and lit a fire. The fire eventually burnt the house. Two of the children run out but one who was much older about 5 years remained in the house and was burned,” said Mathon said.
The children's father Arou Deng confirmed that the incident occurred while he and his wife were away. He said he received a phone call informing him of the tragedy.
“That incident happened while the children were alone at home and there was one of the children who lit the fire and from there the fire burnt the house and the child. I was in Nyamlel,’’ the distraught father said.
Eyewitnesses condemned the incident and blamed the parents for negligence.
“Yes this happened last night, he has gone to Nyamlel and his wife was at the market selling peanuts. They stayed late at the market, they were supposed to be home by 7pm," Santo Yuetpuou said.
Investigations into the cause of the fire have been launched, police added.