THE father of the twin boys who jumped from the second floor of a burning flat in Kabwata on Friday says it was an angel who pushed his children to jump. A video showing one of the boys letting go of the window and falling onto a mattress on the ground has gone viral on social media. The twins, Brian and Brenden, aged five, were locked up in the house at Flat Number 10 on the second floor when it caught fire in unknown circumstances. Mr Brian Hatambo, 44, said the hand of God was present no wonder his children managed to jump from the flat. “Immediately I saw my children, I cried. It wasn’t them jumping, God was there with them,” he said.

Some witnesses praised the boys for their bravery, but the boys’ mother, Sharon Kamunwe, said all she saw in the escape was the hand of God. Ms Kamunwe said she cannot give credit to her children for jumping off the window because the hand of God was involved. The 34-year-old nurse said she cannot believe that her children jumped off the building. “I actually have questions like God, who am I to deserve this grace? What we have lost is not important,” Ms Kamunwe said.

She said all she wanted was to hug her boys when she got home because she could not believe when she was told that they were safe. Ms Kamunwe said she is amazed angels still exist among people. She thanked her neighbours for the rescue. As the two-bedroom flat became engulfed by fire, the two boys escaped to one of the bedrooms, and could be seen trying to escape from the blaze and thick smoke. One man threw a stone to smash the window panes and encouraged the boys to leap off the window.

However, one of the boys was hit in the process and needed hospital treatment. The first boy leaped from the window, about 20 metres above the ground into a safety-net of hands below, before neighbours mobilised a mattress. The last boy was also encouraged to jump.

He is seen in the video hanging from the window for a few seconds before letting go and landing on the mattress. The Lusaka Fire Brigade and Zambia Air Force fire engines rolled in and put out the fire before it could spread to other rooms of the flat. It is not clear what time the fire broke out. The escape of the two boys has touched many hearts, and some have come to the family’s aid. Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has pledged to pay rentals for the family for the next six months. Mr Lusambo, who visited the family yesterday, said Government will also find means on how to mitigate the family’s tragedy.