A devastating fire in Akure, Ondo State, has claimed the lives of two young siblings, aged three and five, who were trapped in their apartment after being left unattended by their mother.
The tragic incident took place at Oluwatuyi quarters on Wednesday, around 3:30 pm.
READ ALSO: Enugu Fire Service battled 676 fire incidents
Neighbors, who heard the children’s cries for help, initially mistook the sounds for disciplinary actions from their mother. As the fire intensified, neighbors rushed to help but were unable to extinguish the flames or rescue the children.
Despite attempts to intervene, the fire service was called, but by the time they arrived, the children had already succumbed to the inferno. The siblings’ bodies were found at the apartment’s entrance, charred beyond recognition. They were later taken to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital morgue in Akure.
Eyewitnesses revealed that the children’s mother had locked them in the room before leaving for the market. It is suspected that she may have accidentally left the gas on, causing the fire.
The tragic loss has left the community in shock, with the children’s father reportedly collapsing from grief and being rushed to the hospital.
