Two children, aged eight and six, were killed in a late-night fire that swept through a cluster of makeshift homes in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The incident occurred in a shantytown settlement behind the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, where about 27 families reside. Earlier reports had suggested the fire happened within the polytechnic, but this has since been clarified.
According to neighbours, the children were locked inside their room by their mother, who had stepped out briefly to buy items to complete a pot of soup she was cooking. The fire was said to have started in the same room, though the exact cause could not be established.
Two of the woman’s four children, who were awake at the time, managed to escape as the flames spread. The other two, who were asleep, were trapped and burnt to death before help could reach them.
The mother returned to find the fire raging and her two children already dead. Several other residents lost their homes and belongings, though no additional fatalities were recorded.
Witnesses said the state fire service responded to the distress calls but arrived too late to prevent the destruction.
