By UCHENNA UGWU

The Ebonyi Fire Service has confirmed the tragic death of a four-year-old boy in a fire incident at Onuebonyi in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The Chief Fire Officer, Mr Raphael Ibiam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Friday that four other persons were hospitalised due to injuries sustained from the fire.

Ibiam said that the four injured victims were rushed to the hospital for urgent medical attention.

He promised to provide further information on the extent of damage to property caused by the fire.

An eyewitness, Mr Oku Chinagorom, told journalists that the inferno was triggered by a cooking gas explosion in one of the shops at the busy junction in the area.

According to Chinagorom, the fire quickly spread to nearby goods inside the shop.

He explained that the shop owner, popularly known as Mummy Osi, was in the shop at the time, while her husband had travelled a day before.

The eyewitness further stated that in an attempt to rescue her four children who were inside the shop when the explosion happened, Mama Osi sustained severe burns.

“Sadly, the child who died in the inferno was burnt beyond recognition,” Chinagorom said.

Also, Mr Clement Ovuoba, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency had deployed a response team to the scene to assess the damage and document the losses. (NAN)