Five children between the ages of four and 12 were killed in an inferno in the Kirikiri area of Lagos State on Thursday.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the five children, Emeka 12, Ifeanyi 10, Chinasa eight, Joy six, and Bright four, who are of the same parents, were burnt alive at their home located at 29 Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri.

The parents of the victims were identified as Ogbonna and Margaret Igwuagwu.

Our correspondent learnt that although over 30 people live in the compound, which was completely consumed by the fire, only the five children died.

Sympathisers were said to have surrounded the premises crying and wailing over the incident, while charred remains of the victims were being evacuated.

According to residents, the fire started at about 11.30 pm in the room where the five children were sleeping and later spread to other rooms all made of wood.

The parents of the children were said to have locked them inside the room and lit a candle for them as there was no electricity supply.

Neighbours said it was the usual habit of the parents to lock the children inside the room whenever they were going to their shop in the evening.

It was learnt that the children slept off while the candle fell, thereby spreading the fire to other parts of the room. Woken by the heat, they were said to have shouted for help while the fire raged, but neighbours were too busy saving themselves.

One of the neighbours said the eldest son, Emeka, had begged his parents not to lock them in but allow them to spend sometime outside but their mother refused.

“I can vividly remember when Mama Emeka ordered her children to go and sleep, saying that she needed to go back to attend to customers who were waiting for her. Emeka, the eldest, pleaded that they should be allowed to stay outside for a while.

“She insisted that they should go to bed since they were to travel the following day. I believe that it was in a bid to prevent them from running out of the house that she locked them inside and went away with the key,” she said.

Some neighbours told journalists that they heard the wailing of the children when the fire was raging, but could not break through to rescue them due to a hard burglar proof that was used at the entrance of the room.

According to residents who witnessed the incident, firefighters were informed but could not get to the scene due to bad roads in Kirirkiri.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The road is not passable and there is always traffic congestion in that area. Men of the Naval Fire Service got here first, but they could not help the situation because the damage had already been done.”

One of the tenants, Udoh Bassey, whose room was also burnt, told journalists that no one could say exactly what caused the fire.

“It started at about 11.30 pm when some of us were still awake. It was the cry from that room that attracted my attention. The entire compound was razed down before help could come our way. I was able to save a few of my property because my room was located far away from the source of the fire.

“The children died because their parents locked them inside the house and went back to their shops close by. We tried but before we could reach them, there was an explosion from one room to the other as all the other rooms were razed down.”

When contacted, spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said the parents of the victims had suffered shock and were rushed to hospital.

“At about 11.20pm, police received a call that a house in Kirikiri was on fire. The house was made of wood and corrugated iron sheets and the fire engulfed it. Five children died in the fire,” she said.

Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/five-siblings-die-in-lagos-fire/

Chai,wat a world! 5pikin die once,dis 1 don pas witch handwrk....sad...cryin r.i.p 2 doz kids,future leader's 4 dat mata..d mama n papa go fyn am difficult 2 get dos amount of kid's bak..if d world wan end make e end,instead of treatin us bad evry day

Rest in peace to d innocent children!
However, if this shi...t happens in oyinboland, im quite sure d parents of d deceased will be arrested for their action

Whose fault.

If PHCN gave us un interrupted power supply, would this have happened.

For those blaming the parents, IMHO, she went to make money, afterall the kids and family will eat.

Though I will advise people to use electric lamps and tourchs, but it just occured to me that in cases where their has'nt beeen light for 3 or more days the electric lamps must have gonne off and not even a lot of people can afford a generator.

All thesame may God grant their families the fortitude to bear the irrepairable loss.

I made an earlier comment blaming the parents for the horrible tragedy but now thinking about it again, I don't think so anymore.
No SANE parent will leave their alone in a candle-lit room. Most likely that Power went out and the children didn't want to stay in a dark room. Its just a horrible tragedy that could have been prevented, I can imagine all the 'what ifs' that would be going through the parents mind. I don't think anybody can get over this kind of loss
May the children RIP. What a horrible way to go

What a way to end the year!
Tragic!

Who do we blame?the government 4 makin useless commitees 2 make laws,or phcn 4 failin in thr duty,the government 4 embezzlin our money instead of creatin jobs so as to reduce criminals n ritualists n our society so that we nigerians wnt cage ourselves in fear?who?heard d mother died,sad weekend.what a way 2 countdown 2 2012.osaneranwven wat is happenin?

Failed parents
Failed country.

Why would anyone lock anyone in a house and go out with the keys?

Country is messed up, nothing works, I'm sure the other tenants were more concerned with saving their okirika as opposed to making an effort to rescue those kids.

Sad, sad news.

dominique: I made an earlier comment blaming the parents for the horrible tragedy but now thinking about it again, I don't think so anymore.
No SANE parent will leave their alone in a candle-lit room. Most likely that Power went out and the children didn't want to stay in a dark room. Its just a horrible tragedy that could have been prevented, I can imagine all the 'what ifs' that would be going through the parents mind. I don't think anybody can get over this kind of loss
May the children RIP. What a horrible way to go

People should stop using candles and kerosene lanterns. They aren't cheaper and there are so many cheap rechargeable and battery powered LED lamps you can use nowadays without public electricity supply.

This happens all-too-often. I wouldn't mind a law banning the use of candles and kerosene lanterns in homes.

If you are a leader in this country who is contributing to the massive poverty and lack of education of our people, I rest your case with God.

This is awfully sad. May God give these parents the strength to cope with this tragedy.

ifyalways: Failed parents
Failed country.

Why would anyone lock anyone in a house and go out with the keys?

Country is messed up, nothing works, I'm sure the other tenants were more concerned with saving their okirika as opposed to making an effort to rescue those kids.

Sad, sad news.

Quite an unfair comment. Nigerians risk their lives daily in such situations. What many people do during domestic fires is the stuff heroes are made-of.

You fail to realise that many domestic fire victims die of suffocation before the fire touches them. Carbon Monoxide is extremely lethal.

One should not wait to see the flames when there is a fire alert- get out swiftly before the smoke overwhelms you.

^ this is not a debate so I actually don't need you quoting me and going on the "fairness" scale with my post.

Thank you.

This is an old news now.

chai, what a tragedy

Eyaah

"...the road was not passable". And some people would same govt shouldn't be blamed for everything..

Sincere RIP to the kids

I know that street na hey na wa o 5 pikin roasted !!! Oo lad

Very sad; don't forget 2 pray 4 ur family members, ember demons @ work, can't count number of deaths recorded on dis site, dis month alone. Devil is a liar, we shall overcome nd make it 2 2013. Wetin 2012 still dey do, abeg cum pack ya load jahwe!

[size=20pt]na wa o.. wetin dey happen this mber month ooooo....[/size]

Such a parent should spend the rest of her life in Jail.
How could one be so insensitive as to locking up those children. iSmh ! What a shame.

I wonder how our leaders feel when they hear such news.

****tomakint places hands on head and shouts while crying, "Ikunle a bi yamo oo"****

this is not about candles or kerosene

In the Westen world from what my aunt tells me, she cant leave her 12 year old son unaccompanied in the homes
When i was growing up, my folks left me at times with my siblings locked UP! in the home

Sorry for the loss,it was avoidable

[size=20pt]So sad[/size]
[img]http://revolutionarypaideia.files./2012/07/black-man-crying.jpg?w=620[/img]

Baba God na ur leg i dey cos pple wey dey ur hands don plenty. Wot's happening in Nigeria? Death evrwhr. Not just ordinary death but tragic and painful ones. RIP 2 dem all. Its so sad. No need 2 point accusing fingers cos wot's been done is alrdy done. *sad*

Stupid parents, now they have to start all over again.

[size=28pt]God almighty! Hv mercy on my soul o....it's 2 early 4 me 2 die o[/size]

do people still use candles? what happened to rechargeable torches and lanterns? too bad those kids died.o ma se o!

Dear Lord, pls grant their parents d fortitude to bear d loss, I can. Imagine an everlasting shock in dat family, RIP to dos precious kids!Gosh...I knw dia. Parents must have bought dia christmas cloths, nd. Plan. Ow d xmas would worth d while for dos kids.

Tragic .....