February 18, 2025

TNN Newspaper

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Neighbours Claim Eneka Fire Not Ordinary *Survival Chances Of 2-Year Old Victim Slim

3 min read

Edith CHUKU

Neighbours have described the recent fire disaster that happened at Rumuworlu Street, Eneka Clan, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, as mysterious and spiritual.

They stated this in an interview with TNN on Tuesday, where they explained that the fire outbreak which burnt a six-month-old baby to death, had no trace.

The mother and two-year-old sibling of the dead child were rushed to the hospital for urgent treatment, as they secured severe injuries from the fire.

The incident happened around 7am on Monday, after the family returned from New Year travel a day before. The fire affected two of the seven units of the self-contained apartment.

The neighbours explained that the woman who had gone out to get something, got her hand burnt trying to rescue her two-year-old son, unfortunately, the six-month-old baby was already burnt to death.

When TNN visited the scene, our correspondent observed that only the room was severally affected, the kitchen and bathroom were intact. Also, we gathered that there was no light when the incident happened.

Speaking in an interview, one of the neighbours, Mr. Johnson Jonah narrated that, “the mother went out after seven in the morning, because me I come out to wash my motor to seven, so we dey inside house dey hear fire o, fire o, fire, we no even know because this thing wey happen yesterday no even smoke, nothing like sign.

“When we come dey hear fire, fire, I come out from my house check outside no smoke, I come peep see fire inside the room, no be even varander wey be their kitchen. Them been travel go Obigbo, I no even know say them come back yesterday night and the husband no been dey.

“So as she go buy indomie, she come lock the children inside, before we know we see fire for roof, we come dey rush but before she come back to open gate fire don already kill the small one, na the first son wey manage with the fire wey dey burn am, em manage open door come varander, na em survive but em dey hospital.

“The small one na six months, em no fit run, na cry em dey cry till em die and this one, if to say the protecter no lock, em for run out, fire for no burn am like that.”

Jonah noted that from their findings, “nobody knows what caused the fire. See the cylinder here(brings the cylinder) she no dey cook inside house, na for varander, she no get kitchen inside house, the cylinder no burn, them no bring light, light no dey, I say nothing like smoke, no smell of something wey wan burn.

“This fire no be ordinary, the thing fear person like say na spiritual something, no be ordinary. This boy wey escape no so hot water pour am before him begin waka. This thing weak us.”

They insisted that there was no trace of where the fire came from, also, that the mother of the victims did not leave anything that could have sparked fire before stepping out to get something.

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