A policewoman has lost her three children alongside their nanny in an accidental house fire in Pakawa, Nakuru, Kenyan on Saturday night, which was reportedly ignited by a candle.

The incident was confirmed by Nakuru County Deputy Police Commander Phanton Analo, who said police officers were alerted to the incident but found the four had died.

It has since been revealed that the home, which was rented out to a police officer named Mary Wandia three days ago, did not have power.

Neighbors speculated that the family was lighting their home with a candle.

“The nanny had tried unsuccessfully to purchase electricity tokens earlier, and we believe they were using a candle, which could have started the fire,” a neighbor, Johh Mwangi, told Citizen Digital.

According to the police report, Ms Wandia was at work at the time of the incident.

The fire started about 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to Teresia Nyokabi, a resident of Pakawa in Nakuru, where the accident occurred.

Neighbors who broke down the door said they were alerted by smoke billowing from the building but they had no idea there were people inside.

“We started seeing smoke but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from; by the time we realized the house was on fire, it was too late,” Mwangi said. “At the time, we didn’t know there were people in the house.”

It wasn’t until the fire trucks arrived an hour later that they found four bodies inside the house.