By Ado Oyeyemi
A mother and her four children have died in a fire that gutted their residence in Okochiri community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The tragedy occurred early Friday morning, leaving residents of the community in shock.
The cause of the inferno had yet to be established as of the time of filing this report.
However, a source familiar with the incident said the fire might have started when someone was attempting to pour petrol into a jerrycan, causing the product to suddenly ignite.
The source also suspected that the petrol involved might have been contaminated, although this could not be independently confirmed.
The Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika LGA, Igwe Godswill, confirmed the incident but said details were still sketchy.
Godswill said community youths had succeeded in putting out the fire before he arrived at the scene, adding that the occupants were believed to have died before the flames were extinguished.
He called for a thorough investigation to determine what caused the fire and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He said, “When we got there this morning, the fire had been put out and the police had already come to the scene. I believe a proper investigation will be carried out.”
A video from the scene showed a woman commenting on the cramped nature of the building, while parts of the structure, including the roof, appeared badly damaged by the inferno.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said she would make inquiries about the incident and provide an update.
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However, she had yet to respond as of Friday afternoon when this report was filed.
