…Police Invite Mother for Questioning
PORT HARCOURT — Tragedy struck in the Rumuola area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, on Sunday night as a devastating fire engulfed a cluster of makeshift homes, leaving two children dead and dozens of families displaced.
The fire, which reportedly started around 10 p.m. near the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, quickly consumed the settlement. Eyewitnesses said properties worth millions of naira were destroyed, and approximately 27 families were forced to flee their homes.
Sources indicated that the blaze originated in one of the rooms where a mother had left her four children locked inside while she stepped out to purchase cooking ingredients. Reports suggest she had left a stove burning, which may have sparked the fire.
A resident, who identified herself as Edidiong, described the horrifying scene. “It is a gory sight. I’m standing beside the bodies of two children who lost their lives. Their bodies have been covered,” she said. She explained that the two younger children were asleep at the time of the fire while their older siblings tried to save them. “The older children attempted to rescue their younger siblings but were forced to flee due to the intensity of the fire,” she added.
The victims were reportedly aged six and eight, though the Rivers State Police later gave their ages as five and nine. Fire service personnel arrived at the scene in time to prevent the fire from spreading further to neighboring homes.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed the incident and deaths. “From the situation report I received, the children were aged nine and five. We have begun an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire. The mother has been invited for questioning as part of the investigation,” she stated.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident as the community mourns the loss of the two young lives. Families displaced by the fire are reportedly receiving temporary assistance from local authorities and neighbors, as the full extent of the destruction becomes clearer.