Heartbreak and grief enveloped Blessing Centre Church in Emmasdale, Lusaka, Zambia, on Tuesday morning, May 6, 2025, as family, friends, and community leaders gathered to mourn the tragic loss of three young brothers—Nathan (7), Emmanuel Jr. (4), and Subilo Phiri (2)—who perished in a devastating house fire.
The Kabanana fire incident, caused by a violent lightning strike, occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Lusaka’s Two Ngwee area. The inferno claimed the lives of the Phiri children, leaving the community in shock.
According to police reports, their father, Emmanuel Phiri, a 34-year-old respected elder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Lusaka North District, had left the boys at home around 6:00 PM to pick up his wife, who was stranded in Chazanga due to heavy traffic. Shortly after, a lightning strike is believed to have triggered an electrical fault, setting the house ablaze.
Neighbors rushed to the scene in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames and rescue the children, but the fire spread rapidly. By the time Mr. Phiri returned after receiving a distress call, the home was engulfed in flames.
Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed the tragic Lusaka house fire in an emotional statement, revealing that the boys’ remains were recovered from the debris.
“Despite the courageous efforts of bystanders, the fire could not be contained. All three children sustained fatal burns,” said Hamoonga. He added that investigations into the lightning strike tragedy in Zambia are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
The children’s grandfather, in an emotional interview with Diamond TV, wept as he described his overwhelming loss.
“Forget about the properties; I’ve lost my grandchildren, good, strong boys…,” he said, his voice breaking with grief.
The SDA Lusaka North District, where Phiri serves as a church elder, posted a moving tribute: “Our bass man, Elder Emmanuel Phiri, has tragically lost his three boys on the spot. Please pray for this family.”
Pastor Wonder Hamukandi called on the public to support the grieving family, while neighbors remembered the boys as bright, playful children whose untimely death has left a gaping void in the community.
Among the mourners were the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs. W.K. Mutale Nalumango, represented at the service, alongside Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata, Minister of Community Development and Social Services Hon. Doreen Mwamba, Lusaka District Commissioner, Mandevu Constituency Member of Parliament, and other dignitaries.
This heartbreaking event has sparked renewed calls for community awareness on lightning safety, especially during Zambia’s peak rainy season, to prevent similar tragedies.
