A tragic fire outbreak in Okochiri community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, has claimed the lives of a mother and her four children.
The incident occurred on Friday morning, with the exact cause of the fire yet to be established.
A source familiar with the incident said the fire may have started when petrol being transferred into a jerrycan suddenly caught fire. The source also suggested that the fuel involved might have been contaminated.
Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, Igwe Godswill, confirmed the deaths, saying he and his team found the bodies of the woman and her four children when they arrived at the scene.
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According to him, the community youths had already put out the fire before his arrival, while the police had also reached the scene and commenced their assessment.
Godswill described the incident as heartbreaking and called for a proper investigation to establish what caused the fire.
The blaze reportedly caused significant damage to the building, including its roof and other sections of the house.
The Rivers State Police Command was also contacted for further details, but its spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, had yet to provide additional information as of Friday afternoon.
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