Tragedy struck in Bayelsa State in the wee hours of yesterday when generator fumes killed a mother and five of her children. Five children of Mr. Celestine Onwudili and his wife, Chinyere, were found dead in their house located at Azikoro village road by neighbours yesterday morning.
Bayelsa State has been in total black out since May 18 when, during a downpour, a tree fell and destroyed the 33KVA transmitter transmitting electricity to the state from the Ahoada-Owerri axis of the Transmission Power Station.
Daily Sun learnt that the Onwudili family because of the harsh weather condition had moved their generator into the house and put it on while they were asleep.
Yesterday morning neighbors became apprehensive when they had expected Mrs Onwudili, a major supplier of sachet water to come out of the house but the door was firmly locked.
Some neighbors, who peeped into the house, saw the eight occupants of the building foaming in the mouth and immediately broke the door to gain access into the house.
By the time they were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, Mrs Onwudili and five of her children were confirmed dead, while two members of the family, the second son and the housemaid were still in critical condition at the emergency ward of the hospital.
Mr. Onwudili, a staff member of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Port Harcourt, who had come to Yenagoa to celebrate the Democracy Day with the family, was in tears at the FMC mortuary where the bodies had been deposited.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Alex Akhigbe who confirmed the incident said preliminary investigation indicated that it was generator fumes that killed them.
Meanwhile, 16 people including students of the Niger Delta University were feared dead in a ghastly motor accident along the Amassoma Road on Tuesday night.
An eyewitness, Mr. Enaikonzigha Fungbe said the two Toyota buses involved in the accident with registration number Rivers KNM141XA and Rivers XB269KPR had a head-on collision.
According to him five people who sat in front of one of the buses died on the spot, while a pregnant woman escaped unhurt.
It was gathered that those who were injured and dead bodies were taken to the hospital.