Disaster struck on Thursday at the Kirikiri area of Lagos state when five siblings aged 4 – 12 were killed in an inferno.
According to Saturday Punch, the five children, Emeka 12, Ifeanyi 10, Chinasa eight, Joy six, and Bright four, who are of the same parents, were burnt alive at their home located at 29 Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri.
The parents of the victims were identified as Ogbonna and Margaret Igwuagwu.
Out of the 30 residents living in the house which was completely razed down by the fire, only the five kids died.
The fire started at about 11.30 pm in the room where the five children were sleeping and later spread to other rooms all made of wood.
The Parents of the children in their usual manner were said to have lit a candle for them, locked them up and then headed to their shop for their usual evening trade.
However, things didn’t work out well on that fateful day because when the kids fell asleep, the candle fell, thereby spreading the fire to other parts of the room. Woken by the heat, they were said to have shouted for help while the fire raged, but neighbours were too busy saving themselves.
According to one of the residents, Emeka the eldest son begged his parents not to lock them in but allow them to spend some time outside but their mother bluntly refused. She insisted they go to bed because they were travelling the next day.
According to residents who witnessed the incident, firefighters were informed but could not get to the scene due to bad roads in Kirirkiri.
However, one of the tenants, Udoh Bassey, whose room was also burnt, told journalists that no one could say exactly what caused the fire.