Seven families have been rendered homeless yesterday after a mysterious fire burnt down a building along Abiola Estate, Okwe, a nearby community to Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

It was learnt that the fire began around 11am, after the restoration of power by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEBC).

When our correspondent visited the scene, the whole rooms had been burnt to rubbles and the Fire Service Department was still putting off the fire.

Sympathisers who were available at the time helped to gather the remains from the burnt building.

The owner of the house, who gave his name as Sir Kendo Olumami, said that he was away when he received a telephone call that his house was on fire. He added that before he got home, everything inside the house had been burnt to rubbles.

“I don’t really know how it happened but I received a telephone call by one of my tenants while in my working place that my house was on fire and I rushed down here to meet this. According to them, they said that it was caused by NEPA light and I don’t know, I ‘m short of words. Please, the government should come to our aid,” he said.

He added that “there were 7 rooms in the house even the few tenants at home were not able to bring out some of their property from their own rooms, it was even the Fire Service Department that put off the fire when they were called on phone by a good Samaritan.”

One of the tenants, who gave his name as Christopher Okeke, said that he was inside the house when NEPA brought the light and he went to put on the television but it got burnt by high voltage, after some minutes, he heard a terrifying sound from one of the rooms and when he came out to check what was happening, he saw smoke coming out from the room and all of a sudden, it started burning.

“We tried our best to put off the fire but to no avail before the fire service officers came to put it off. Am calling on the government to come and help us,” he said.

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