16th October, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Two children of a naval officer were burnt to death by an early morning inferno on Friday in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The tragedy occurred at the Naval Town Camp site, Kirikiri Road, Apapa around 3:30am. The burnt children were two male, aged six and nine.
Officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Lagos State Ambulance Services, LASAMBUS and police officers from Kirikiri Police Division responded to the fire outbreak.
According to LASEMA General Manager, Michael Akindele, the fire broke out around 3:30am and was put out around 4:30am.
He said the fire outbreak was caused by electrical spark from one of the rooms in the three-bedroom apartment.
“The fire outbreak occurred at about 3.30 am on Friday at a three bedroom bungalow, located at the Naval Town Camp site, Kirikiri Road, Apapa. The Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA, LASAMBUS and Police Officers from Kirikiri Police Division responded to fire outbreak, and it was put out at about 4.30 am.
“The preliminary report revealed that the fire was caused by electrical spark from one the rooms in the building, spreading to the whole apartment. It was also gathered that the husband, a naval officer and the wife were out of the state when the incident occurred.
“Unfortunately, two male children between the ages of 6 and 9 were burnt to death, while the house help, known as Patience rescued the first child, Ayomide age 13. The corpses were taken to Naval Hospital, Kirikiri,” Akindele said.
The LASEMA General Manager added that while the house help and the rescued girl were treated on the spot, LASAMBUS later took them to the Naval Hospital for treatment and examination.
Akindele said the prompt intervention of the fire service prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings, adding that further investigation would be carried out by relevant bodies to ascertain the cause of the incident.