Tragedy struck Mangu town in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday night as a woman lost six of her children in a late-night fire outbreak.
The PUNCH reported that the incident occurred in the vicinity of the Old Mangu Market area, throwing the community into mourning.
A resident of the town, Saidu Nasir, recounted the tragic ordeal. “Six children eventually died from the fire incident. I know their father. He is a vulcaniser, and right now, the family is in deep mourning. I pray that God will comfort them,” Nasir said.
Family members said the victims were siblings aged between four months and 12 years.
An uncle of the children, Umar Babangida, said the fire started in the early hours of Friday, around 2am.
He disclosed that the children’s mother sustained serious burns while trying to rescue them and is currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital in Mangu.
“The mother and her nine children were watching television until about 11pm. Later, the three male children went to sleep, leaving the mother with the six younger ones,” Babangida said.
He explained that the cause of the fire had not been determined.
“We cannot categorically say what caused the incident. All we know is that there was power supply before they went to bed. Around 2.30am, we received a distress call that fire had engulfed the house,” he said.
According to him, the woman made desperate attempts to save the children but could not reach them before the fire spread.
“She struggled to bring them out of the room, but the fire was too much. That was how she sustained the injuries,” Babangida added.
He said Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and the Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area visited the family to sympathise with them.
“The governor and our local government chairman came to commiserate with us. He encouraged the family to take heart and promised that the government would support us to rebuild the house,” he said.
Babangida also praised residents of the area for their quick response during the fire.
“We are grateful to everyone who came to help. During the incident, we saw love from both Muslims and Christians who came out in large numbers to assist,” he added.
