Family loses all children to candle fire

Tragedy struck in the Jakande Estate, Mile 2 area of Lagos State on Tuesday night after a family lost all three children to an inferno which broke out in their apartment.  

The victims were identified as Darasimi Ilori (eight months old), Temiloluwa (7), and Daniel (10).

It was learnt that Temilololuwa and Daniel were pupils of Sabis Nursery and Primary School and were in primary three and five respectively.

Punch  gathered from residents that the fire started after the mother of the children lit a candle, shortly after returning from a church service.

She was said to have locked the children in the room and then went out to pick clothes she had washed and spread out to dry earlier in the day.

Few minutes later, while the kids were asleep, the room was said to have been engulfed in smoke, before fire gutted the flat and burnt the children to death.

According to the residents, seven-year-old girl, Temiloluwa, had woken up and carried her eight-month-old sister, wanting to run out with her.

But as she got into the parlour, the ceiling collapsed on them and they fell. Both of them were burnt to death. When  they were removing their bodies, they saw the skeleton of Temiloluwa and the baby, clutching to each other.

 Immediately the incident happened, the victims’ parents were overcome by grief. While Mrs. Ilori reportedly began speaking incoherently, her husband passed out.

Residents said the couple was admitted at the Amuwo Medical Centre and their conditions were critical.

The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, South West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, advised Lagos residents to be more vigilant with candle light, and not lock up their children in the room while going out.