Brothers - 3-year-old, 6 months burnt to death in fire disaster

Tragedy struck in Ulakwo in Owerri North Local Government area of Imo state as two sons of the same parents died in a fire accident that escalated from a lit candle stick.

Report says the parent of the deceased children, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Ishiguzo locked their five children in their room, with a lit candle stick, and went out.

Recalling what happened, an aggrieved tenant said, “the fire was caused by a lighted candle stick. Our neighbour, Mr. and Mrs. Ishiguzo, lit a candle stick, locked up their five children in their room and went out.

‘’The candle burnt out and ignited the rug and other materials in the room.”

According to her account, three of the Ishiguzo children were rescued from the room, but two were burnt to death – one three years old and the other six months.

Echeibe said nobody had an idea the room had gone up in flames as they had all retired to their respective rooms.

She said one of the children in the yard heard the distress cry of the Ishiguzo kids and alerted the neighbourhood.

“Before we knew what was happening, the entire building went up in flames and we ran out, leaving everything behind in our respective rooms.

“I do not know where to start from. All my belongings were lost in the fire,” she said.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kingsley Okere, of Agballa Police Division, who lost his certificates to the inferno corroborated Echeibe’s story.

He said had gone to sleep when unusual noise from the compound woke him up.

Properties worth millions of naira were said to be lost to the fire disaster, including the 15-room building that the Ishiguzos and other tenants lived.