26th July, 2015
A two-year-old baby girl died in a fire outbreak which rendered many people homeless on Sunday in a suburb area of Ovom Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
NAN correspondent who visited the scene learnt that the fire, which destroyed no fewer than 15 houses in the area, started at about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The incident occurred opposite the Law Faculty of the Niger Delta University (NDU) popularly known as BGS in the area.
Some of the affected persons told NAN that the inferno, which also damaged property worth millions of Naira, was caused by candle light.
One of the affected persons, Mr Godwin Arum, a business man, told NAN that all his property was gutted by the fire.
He said “Yes, that baby girl that was burnt was only two years-old; the mother locked her in the house while selling in their shop because the baby was sleeping before the fire started.
“Right now, the parents of the baby are yet to be found.
“As you can see, all my belongings are destroyed by the fire, my only cloth now is the one I am clad in.
“This is so shocking, how can people light a candle in the house and leave it on with no one to attend to it?.
“So, how and where do I start rebuilding my life from now? I have lost everything and it is a very painful experience,” Arum said.
Mrs Victoria Onwuka, one of the affected persons and mother in a family of seven, also condemned the use of candle in houses.
Onwuka said her children were safe but she lost some property.
“I was able to pick some of our property and my children have been taken to my friend’s house for now; I pray God will provide another place for us to live in.
“The fire service was able to put out the fire but it had already razed many property before they got here to put it out,” Onnwuka said.
Mr Prince Ogun, Station Driver, Bayelsa Fire Service Command, said that they could not get to the scene on time but they were able to put out the fire.
Ogun said “the fire started in the night; the people living in the area came and called us, but before we could get to the scene, the fire had already gone far.
“We went there with several fire personnel and three of our trucks and were able to put out the fire.
“Many houses were burnt and a two-year-old girl lost her life in the inferno. It is very tragic but we thank God the fire did not go beyond this.
“I urge the public against the use of candle because many lives have been lost to fire incidents caused by candle fires.
“If people must use candle light, then they must be very alert and extremely careful,” Ogun said.
All efforts to speak with parents of the deceased baby girl proved abortive.