Embu: Three family members perish in midnight house fire

The victims, who were asleep when the blaze broke out, have been identified as 60-year-old Audecia Ruguru, her sister, 50-year-old Lucy Rwamba, and Rwamba's 20-year-old son, Rogers Gitonga, who lived with autism.

Retired chief Mark Nyaga Karangi said the fire erupted at around 2:00 a.m. and spread rapidly, engulfing the entire house before neighbours could mount a rescue.

According to Karangi, residents were jolted awake by desperate screams from the burning house and rushed to the scene in a bid to put out the flames.

The fire, however, proved too intense, trapping all three occupants inside. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition.

The tragedy has plunged the village into mourning, with neighbours describing the family as humble and expressing shock at the loss, particularly that of Gitonga, whose autism made the circumstances of his death even more painful for those who knew him.

Police officers visited the scene and have launched investigations to establish the cause of the fire.

The victims' bodies have been moved to the mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examinations.