AN 11-YEAR-OLD girl in Chama district has set herself on fire in an apparent suicide attempt for being mistreated by her classmates at school. The Grade 4 pupil at Phyanakunda Primary School doused diesel on her body before setting herself alight on Sunday around 08:00 hours.

ZANIS reports that Chief Lundu of the Senga and the girl’s aunt, Phostina Ngoma, confirmed the incident in separate interviews. The chief said trouble started at school where the girl felt that she was being mistreated by her classmates. Chief Lundu, who rushed to the hospital where the girl is being treated, advised young people to be tolerant and endeavour to control their emotions.

He said committing suicide is not a solution to any problem and regretted what happened in Phyanakunda village. The chief also appealed to law enforcement agencies and school authorities to investigate the matter. And Ms Ngoma said the girl poured diesel on her body and later set fire on herself using a match stick but the fire was put out by relatives who were nearby. Meanwhile t a 22-year-old woman of Chinsali has allegedly killed her three-month-old baby by sleeping on it while in a drunken stupor.

Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police Joel Njase said in an interview yesterday that the infant died on Tuesday around 02:00 hours. Mr Njase said Annie Mulenga, of DDSP township, slept on her daughter, Patience Chibesa. “She slept over her daughter and discovered that it was dead in the morning,” he said. Mr Njase said Mulenga has been charged with infanticide and a post-mortem on the dead child will be conducted.