Tragic fire outbreak kills mother, 2 children in Ondo

A devastating fire outbreak has claimed the lives of a woman and her two children on Rainbow Street, near the Onipakala axis in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The tragic incident occurred around midnight on Sunday while residents were asleep, leaving the community in shock and mourning.

Reports indicate that the woman, a petty trader, and her two children—identified as Bukola and Ifeoluwa—were burnt beyond recognition in the inferno.

A neighbor, who spoke anonymously, recounted that they noticed the fire late at night while the victims were asleep. Unfortunately, all efforts to rescue them proved futile as the flames engulfed the duplex, trapping the mother and her children inside.

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“Sadly, we could not rescue them. The fire had to last hours and destroyed the building where they were trapped,” the source told Daily Trust.

The chairman, landlord association on the street, who identified himself as Mr Adegbulu, said fire fighters in the town failed to show up, reportedly citing a lack of water and chemicals.

“When the fire was raging, we called the fire service, only to be informed that there was no water and chemicals. In fact, immediately, the officer switched off his cell phone,” he said.

Efforts to contact the office of the Fire Service in Akure, the state capital, proved abortive. A text message sent to the desk office was yet to be replied as of the time of filling this report.

Many residents have expressed sadness at the loss of the three lives to the fire incident.

The cause of the fire was yet to be unravelled.

Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident, saying the bodies of the deceased persons had been moved to the morgue of the State General Hospital in Ondo.

The tragic incident comes barely a few weeks that two young siblings, Jelad Oluwaranakinse (5) and his brother Jenson (3) were burnt to death in a fire that engulfed their apartment in the Oluwatuyi area of Akure.

The two children were allegedly locked inside their home by their mother, Mrs Deborah Oluwaranakinse, who had stepped out to buy food.

The fire broke out in her absence, reducing the apartment to ashes and claiming the lives of the two boys.