A man who died in a car fire incident in Buruburu estate on Tuesday last week was still alive when his car caught on fire, pathologists have said.
Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor on Tueday said Terance Korir, 36, died from burns, ruling out reports of foul play in the victim’s death. There were speculations that Mr Korir was killed elsewhere and his body planted in the car as a cover-up.
“There was a lot of soot in the airway from the tongue to the lungs. This shows us that actually the person died in the fire… This is not a person who was planted dead in the fire. He was alive when he was burning,” he said.
The pathologist said the body was severely burnt with that being evident on the back and at the buttocks.
Dr Oduor added that other organs, including the brain, lungs and intestines remained intact, another indicator that there was nothing sinister leading to Korir’s death.
“We estimate most likely he inhaled a lot of soot and took a lot of time in the car before he died, the reason being there was red discolouration of tissues because of inhaling carbon monoxide,” Oduor said.
“In summary, he died in the fire incident in the car but the circumstances are what we cannot tell. What caused the fire we cannot tell.”
DCI officers handling the matter are still analysing forensics to determine the people who came into contact with the car in the timelines of the fire incident.
Detectives on Tuesday said they did not know how long the investigation would take. “There are so many factors,” one officer told the Star.
On Thursday, investigators probed five people who recorded statements at the Buruburu police station. They include the widow, her house help, and a neighbour who was the first to respond
Others are two private security guards manning the main entrance of the courts. The guards among the first responders and participated in putting out the fire.
Korir will be buried this coming weekend.
