Fire Wipes Out Family Of Six

Late Tuesday evening, September, 8, 2015, at Number 21, Michael Ogun Street, Obele Lawanson, Lagos, there was a fire outbreak that killed six members of a family and the last still in the hospital.

The fire which started while the family were asleep.

In the house during the fire was Mr. Kelechi Alu, his wife, Nkiru, their children Onoja, Favour and Chidinma aged three weeks, three years and eight years respectively.

Also in the house during the fire were Onoja's mother and two children who came to spend the summer holiday.

Chidinma on the hospital bed

According to Vanguard, the members of the family screamed for help when the fire started but it was alleged that their neighbours refused to heed to the call due to the tension that existed between them. By the time officials of the Lagos State Fire Service arrived, all members of the household had been burnt to death except Chidinma who was badly burnt but still alive.

An eye witness said reasons why the neighbours refused to heed to the cry of help from the family is because of the lingering feud between them. 

The traditional ruler of Surulere, High Chief Kareem Jinadu Awoyemi was said to have wept on getting to the scene of the incident and blamed the neighbours saying:

“There are issues brought to me that occupants of the three buildings in the compound were never in good terms.

‘’This is just too much. How could this type of thing escalate to this level when the victims had neighbours?”

Chidinma is currently in the hospital and a good neighbour is sourcing for funds to assist in footing the hospital bill

“We are donating for the treatment of the little girl that is in the hospital. Chidinma (survivor ) is in critical condition in the hospital and we are doing all we can to ensure her survival. Doctors said she has a fifty-fifty chance of survival.’’