Unknown person burnt inside vehicle – Hamoonga
By Mast Reporter
A LUSAKA resident is recovering from trauma after he witnessed a an unknown person burn beyond recognition inside a motor vehicle Tuesday night in what police suspect to be a murder case.
Police are investigating the suspected murder after the charred body of the victim which was found inside the vehicle on Sheki-Sheki Road in Emmasdale Township, Lusaka.
Police public relations officer Rae Hamoonga said in a statement yesterday John Nkata, a 26-year-old neighborhood watch member of Emmasdale Township informed Issah Patel about the burning vehicle near his house.
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“Yesterday March 11,2025 at approximately 21:10 hours, Issah Ahmed, a 27-year-old residing in Villa Elizabetha, Lusaka, reported the incident to the police. According to the report, a vehicle was found on fire with an unknown individual inside, who was burnt beyond recognition. The incident is believed to have occurred around 19:48 hours,” Hamoonga said.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that at about 19:30 hours, Ahmed received a phone call from Nkata, a 26-year-old neighborhood watch member of Emmasdale.
Nkata told Ahmed he had seen a burning vehicle near his home.
“Upon verifying the report, Mr Ahmed discovered a person inside the burning car. With the assistance of neighbours, he managed to put out the fire before proceeding to report the matter to the police,” Hamoonga said.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the victim trapped in the driver’s seat, burnt beyond recognition.
A further examination of the smoldering remains revealed that the victim’s hands and legs had been tied together using a wire.
Police are suspecting foul play.
The vehicle involved is a silver Toyota Corolla bearing registration number ACX 6276.
“However, the owner has not yet been identified. The body has since been transported to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) mortuary for a postmortem examination and possible identification,” Hamoonga said.
He said a docket has been opened, and investigations were actively underway to establish the circumstances surrounding “this tragic incident”.
“We urge members of the public with any relevant information to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation. The Zambia Police Service remains committed to ensuring justice is served,” Hamoonga said.
