Tragedy
struck yesterday at North Bank, close to Agro Millers in Makurdi, the Benue
State capital, when two sisters, aged 10 and seven lost their lives in a fire
incident
around 4a.m. yesterday.
around 4a.m. yesterday.
The Guardian
could not ascertain the cause of the fire but one of the eyewitnesses in the
area who pleaded for anonymity said it could be from a candlelight left in the
house.
It was
gathered that the two girls were living in the same room with their elder
sister of about 16 years, who had left to spend the night with her boyfriend
while locking the door with a padlock outside.
It was
further learnt that the two girls suffocated to death while sleeping as a
result of fumes from the fire, which burnt only their mattress in the house.
According to
the source, “I was sleeping when my neighbour woke me up that fire had killed
two girls in a house around our neighborhood. The girls and their elder sister
have been staying in the same room since they left their village to school in
Makurdi.
“But the
eldest sister often leave the room at night to his boyfriend’s house. She
always find it difficult when coming back to sneak quietly into the room as it
always take several knocks on the door and windows before her younger ones open
the door for her.
“But
yesterday, she locked the door outside with a padlock around 12midnight and
left for her rendezvous with her boyfriend with the aim of coming back early as
usual. However, the fire burnt the mattress where the two girls were sleeping.
One of them suffocated because of lack of oxygen and died instantly while the
other tried unsuccessfully to open the door but couldn’t as the door was locked
from outside.
“A neighbour
who noticed the incessant banging and cries of the girl came and forced the
door open but unfortunately found one of the children already dead, while the
other one, who was rushed to the hospital died before they could get there.”
According to
the eyewitness, the elder sister returned around 6a.m. only to find her two
siblings dead. The Guardian learnt that the deceased bodies have been taken
home for burial by the parents.
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