Three children killed in gas cylinder fire at Siaya home

Three young children lost their lives in a tragic gas cylinder fire at a home in Mahoma Village, Gem Sub-County, Siaya County. The devastating incident occurred on Monday, September 21, 2026, according to police reports. The family home belonged to Fidel Odhiambo Agutu, a teacher at St Mary’s Yala National School. Initial investigations suggest that the mother, who had recently purchased a 13-kilogramme gas cylinder from an unidentified manufacturer, was preparing a meal alongside her three-year-old daughter and two children from a neighboring family when she lit the gas cylinder.

In the chaos that ensued, the mother managed to escape the burning home while urgently calling for help, but left the three children inside. The children panicked and fled into a bedroom as the flames rapidly engulfed the house. Neighbors, alerted by the mother's desperate cries for assistance, arrived at the scene, but were unable to control the flames.

Tragically, the three minors – Maryreta Odhiambo, 3, Maxwell Omondi Ochieng, 7, and John Omondi, 12 – were trapped and suffered fatal burns, beyond recognition. Maxwell and John were from a neighboring family. The extent of property damage was immense, with household items of unknown value completely destroyed. The bodies were later removed to Yala Level IV Hospital mortuary for preservation and postmortem examinations to aid in definitive identification.

To add to the tragedy, a nine-year-old boy sustained severe burns covering approximately 70 percent of his body in a separate house fire in Homa Bay County. The young boy passed away while receiving specialized treatment at Chiromo Hospital in Kisii on Monday morning. The postmortem examination of both victims' bodies was conducted concurrently, revealing the extent of their horrific injuries.

Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding both fires and the tragic fatalities.