A family of three on Sunday morning perished in a fire at Pesi village in Laikipia West.

The fire also destroyed good worth thousands of shillings.

The man, his wife and their four-year-old child were asleep when the fire broke out at 4am.

Resident Samuel Githinji said, "We heard a blast from their house and rushed to the scene only to find a huge fire. They were crying out for help but we could not save them."

He said they tried breaking into the house to save the three but the fire was spreading fast, especially because it was windy.

"We tried everything to save their lives but we could not manage ... suddenly they went silent, which was when we believed they had suffocated and died. It is after we put out the fire that we found their remains."

Githinji added that a fire engine from Nyahururu arrived minutes after residents had put out the fire.

Laikipia West Sub-County police commander Katobu Molu who confirmed the incident said they suspect an electric fault could have caused the fire.

"We are still investigating the incident and suspect an electric fault, but we are yet to confirm," he said.

Laikipia Senator John Kinyua who hails from the area condoled with the family, promising his support.

The bodies were moved to the Nyahururu county referral hospital mortuary.