General News
Tragedy in Rivers: Mother, Four Children Die in House Fire
A mother and her four children have died in a fire that destroyed their residence in Okochiri community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred on Friday morning, with the victims believed to have been trapped inside the building before community youths eventually extinguished the flames.
The cause of the fire remained unclear as of Friday afternoon. However, a source familiar with the incident said the fire may have started when petrol being transferred into a jerrycan suddenly caught fire.
The source also suggested that the fuel could have been contaminated, although this had not been established.
Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika LGA, Igwe Godswill, confirmed the deaths in a telephone conversation, saying his team found the bodies of the five victims when they arrived at the scene.
He said, “We just heard the news this morning about the fire. There are no proper details as to what happened. But when we got there this morning, we saw that about four children and their mother, a total of five persons, were burnt and died.
“The police had already arrived and taken proper details of what happened. It is so disheartening that this is happening again in our community.”
Godswill said the fire had already been put out by community youths when he arrived, adding that the victims were believed to have died before the flames were brought under control.
He called for a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“When we got there this morning, the fire had been put out and the police had already come to the scene. I believe a proper investigation will be carried out,” the Civilian JTF official said.
A video seen by our reporter showed a woman drawing attention to the cramped condition of the residence, while parts of the roof and structure appeared to have been damaged by the fire.
The police spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, said she would obtain details of the incident and respond to inquiries.
However, she had not provided further information as of Friday afternoon.
The deaths come amid renewed concerns over fire incidents involving residential and commercial properties in different parts of the country.