Date: 2021-03-19

Four children of same parents and their mother were yesterday burnt to death in an inferno that gutted their apartment at Tanke area, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The residence where the incident took place is situated at Ifesowapo community, behind 'F' Division Police Station in Ilorin.

The incident, according to THISDAY checks, happened yesterday night after a lit candle in one of the rooms caught flames and spread to other rooms, consequently burning the house down during their sleep.

It is recalled that residents of Tanke, Fate and Oke-Odo areas, among other places in the Ilorin metropolis, have been thrown in total darkness for almost one week following the rainstorms that damaged electric poles in the areas.

It was gathered that husband and father of the deceased was said to have gone out to get something when the incident happened.

Sources close to the family told journalists in Ilorin that the only child that survived the inferno was said to have been receiving medical attention at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

It was reported that men of the state fire service swung into action when they got the distress call on the incident, but the damage had already been done before their arrival, allegedly due to bad road in the area.

The Chairman of Ifesowapo community, Awodun Yinka, who spoke with journalists at the scene of the incident yesterday, said: "Members of the community heard the agonising noise from a room-and-parlour self-contained apartment, and quickly rushed down," adding that unfortunately, they were unable to rescue the children.

He said the fire was caused by the candle, which reportedly spread across the apartment while the occupants were sleeping, adding that: "The inferno was not caused by power surge.

"The Tanke area in Ilorin has been in blackout for the past few days due to the rainstorms that damaged some electric poles in the area."

However, the landlord of the house, Mr. Ibrahim Gana, who was also injured while rescuing the only surviving child from the inferno, appealed to the state government to assist them, especially the only survivor, who is currently receiving treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.