Two men have been arrested following a fire that killed five members of a family in Maevatanàna. The anger of the victims’ relatives nearly led to mob justice.
Two men were apprehended by the gendarmerie during the week-long investigation into the fire that claimed the lives of four children and a pregnant woman in Berere, in the commune of Maevatanàna II. They are suspected of having intentionally set fire to the house. The two suspects will be presented to the justice system.
The anger of the victims’ relatives nearly escalated into violence. They demanded the death of the two suspected men and gathered in large numbers at the Maevatanàna gendarmerie brigade the day before yesterday. They then headed towards the regional head. However, the discussions initiated and conciliation measures helped to restore calm.
The tragedy occurred in the middle of the night in a rural area of Maevatanàna. A fire broke out in a thatched house, costing the lives of five members of the same family. The father of the family, who was also burned, managed to escape death before pursuing those he suspected of having caused the fire.
“We were informed of the tragedy on the night of the incident and we went to the scene. We proceeded to arrest the two men identified as having set fire to the house. It appears that a dispute and a disagreement had pitted the victims against the suspects before the house was set on fire. The two men denied the accusations brought against them, but they were nevertheless detained and will be brought before the court,” indicated the Maevatanàna gendarmerie.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-24 06:08:45 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/maevatanana-deux-hommes-suspectes-dun.html