A wave of grief swept through Blessing Centre Church in Emmasdale, Lusaka, Zambia, on Tuesday morning, May 6, as mourners gathered to pay their last respects to three young brothers—Nathan (7), Emmanuel Jr. (4), and Subilo Phiri (2)—who perished in a house fire over the weekend.
A devastating lightning strike triggered the fatal house fire in Kabanana’s Two Ngwee area in Lusaka on Saturday, May 3, 2025, claiming the lives of the young brothers.
According to police reports, the children’s father, Emmanuel Phiri (34), a respected Seventh-day Adventist Church elder, had left the boys at home around 18:00 hours to pick up his wife, who was stranded in Chazanga due to heavy traffic. Moments later, a violent lightning strike ignited an electrical fault, setting the house ablaze.
Neighbors desperately tried to extinguish the flames and rescue the trapped children, but the inferno spread too quickly. By the time Phiri rushed back after receiving a distress call, the home was already consumed.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed the incident in an emotional statement, revealing that the boys’ bodies were recovered from the charred debris.
The funeral service held at the Blessing Centre was marked by tearful tributes and anguished prayers, as relatives, friends, and members of the local community mourned the devastating loss.
Authorities have reiterated the need for increased household safety measures during stormy weather, while the community continues to rally around the grieving Phiri family.
