3-year-old, others die in Abia fire incidents

A 3-year-old boy and two other males have died in separate fire incidents on Tuesday in Abia State. 

The victims are yet to be identified.

The 3-year-old and his father died in Aba when an inferno erupted in their residence at No. 1 Mgbe Street off Enugu-Aba-PortHarcourt Expressway.

The other victim was said to have set himself ablaze at Akara junction, Ahaba in Isiukwuato local government area of the state.

There has not been any official report from the state Fire Service in Aba on the cause of the fire as at press time.

However, unconfirmed report said the fire outbreak which started from the last floor of a two-storey building was caused by adulterated kerosene.

Sources in the area said the man and his son died before help could get to them.

“The man who was popularly known as Igwe died while trying to save one of his children.

“We learnt that the man threw down two of his children who were sleeping but on getting into the house to save the third one, he and the child couldn’t make it out of the fire alive,” the source said.

It was learnt that a call put across to the state fire service by the member representing Aba North and South Federal constituency Ossy Prestige saved the entire building from being engulfed by the inferno.

The other victim who allegedly set himself ablaze was said to have carried out the act out of fear of possibly killing his wife after beating her up.

The man described as a mechanic reportedly rushed in to his Mitsubishi bus, set it on fire before jumping into the vehicle.

The wife is said to be receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital.