An early morning inferno yesterday in Port Harcourt claimed the lives of six members of a family. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained though, neighbours of the deceased family members however gave the time the fire started as 2pm.
Landlord of the house, located at number 17, New Estate Road, Railway Quarters, said all they heard was a loud explosion, only too notice balls of fire next.
The residents claimed they ran out of their apartments in the confusion, adding that the explosion came from the apartment of the deceased family members.
According to residents, three boys, a girl and their parents were those consumed in the fire. They put the ages of the children at twenty two, seventeen, nine and seven years, adding that two other daughters of the deceased parents were not at home when the incident occurred.
Neighbours said the father was a taxi driver while the wife was a petty trader.
The landlord cried uncontrollably at the scene of the incident, mumbling how he wished no lives were lost in the fire.
“If the fire had only consumed the building leaving the lives, we would all have been consoled. But losing a family of six is a heavy loss”, he lamented.
Confirming the incident, Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Angela Agabe, said it was a sad loss, but said she was still awaiting details of the incident.