A 32‑year‑old woman has died after a fire broke out in the room where she was staying at Onhuno in the Ohangwena Region on Monday morning.

According to preliminary information from the family, the woman had expressed thoughts of self-harm after she was found attempting to hang herself last week.

Family members say that on Monday morning she went to collect a matchbox from a neighbour, allegedly intending to burn rubbish near her sleeping quarters. A few minutes later, neighbours noticed smoke coming from the corrugated‑iron room. Attempts to rescue her were unsuccessful, as the door was allegedly locked from the inside.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, and further details are expected as police investigations continue.

In a separate incident, a 66‑year‑old woman died after the room where she was sleeping caught fire on Saturday night at Enghandja in the Ohangwena Constituency. The woman, identified as Rosalia Taukondjele, was burned beyond recognition.

Ohangwena Constituency Regional Councillor Seraphine Shekunyenge expressed concern over the incidents and urged anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, or anyone who knows someone who is, to seek help and not resort to taking their own life.