3rd February, 2012
Three persons including a two-month old baby have been confirmed dead while five others are at the Casualty Unit of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital following a kerosene explosion.
The explosion which occurred at 56, New Airport Road in Calabar South, took the life of a 15- year old boy, Christian Inyang on the spot while two other victims, Prophetess Grace Peter Duke and the two-month old baby died in the hospital.
The eldest daughter to the late prophetess who gave her name as Mrs Alice Kufre told P.M.NEWS that Inyang who was adopted by her mother while he was a baby was playing football where she (Kufre) lives at Ene Ita Street behind the Mbukpa Police station on the day of the incident and decided to return to 56, New Airport Road at nightfall.
And when he got home, he saw that the lantern in the prophetess’ room was dim because of lack of kerosine and he then decided to add more kerosine.
“As he held the lamp up and made to add some kerosine to the empty lantern, there was a loud explosion and the whole room was engulfed in flames. My mother who was lying in the bed covered in mosquito net was in flames as the net caught fire instantly,” she said.
She said her mother who hails from Ibesikpo in Uyo local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State had lived in Calabar for a long time and worked as a traditional birth attendant in her church.
“At the time of the explosion she had with her in the room some women who recently gave. Five of them sustained severe burns. The two-month old baby that died was delivered by my mother in her church and the mother was yet to return to their home before the incident happened,” she said.
The incident, Mrs. Kufre said, has been reported at the Mbukpa Police Station.
This was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer for Cross River State command, ASP Bassey Duke.
—Emma Una/Calabar