Mother, 7 children die in inferno

File photo

Eight members of a family have been burnt to death in a fire outbreak in Ebonyi state.

Premium Times reports that the tragedy struck on Friday, January 29, in Ohufu village, Ogboji community in Ishielu local government area of the state.

A horrible inferno killed a woman and seven children, while the husband, Sylvanus Nefuru, and one of the children, Ukamaka Nwefuru, escaped death.

It was gathered that the incident happened at 3 a.m., when the family members were sleeping.


A 80-year-old Sylvanus Nweferu said that he heard a loud noise while in deep sleep which woke him up.

The survived girl said that her mother rescued her and went to save another member of the family when she was caught by the fire and died.

Confirming the incident, Henry Eze, the caretaker committee chairman of Ishielu local government area, lamented the death of the family and urged security agencied to investigate the matter.

In December 2015, a similar tragedy happened in Ogun state, when a family-of-five met with an ill-fate, after a night fire engulfed their residence at Abule Ake.

Residents within the Idi Aba area of Abeokuta metropolis were thrown into mourning as none of the Oloruku family was saved from the inferno.