A tragic fire outbreak in Abakaliki has claimed the life of a four-year-old boy and left four others hospitalized after a cooking gas explosion sparked an inferno that destroyed several shops.
The incident occurred at Onuebonyi Junction, a busy area in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where the explosion reportedly started inside a shop and quickly spread to nearby goods.
An eyewitness, Oku Chinagorom, said the fire began when a gas cylinder exploded, igniting items in the shop and causing flames to spread rapidly to surrounding stores.
According to him, the shop owner, widely known as Mama Osi, was inside the shop when the explosion occurred. Her husband had reportedly travelled to their hometown in Okposi a day before the incident.
While attempting to rescue her four children trapped inside the shop, the woman suffered severe burn injuries.
Sadly, one of the children, identified as Osinachi, died in the fire and was reportedly burnt beyond recognition.
Residents in the area quickly mobilized to contain the blaze before emergency responders arrived. Four injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, while five shops and their contents were completely destroyed.
One of the affected traders, Nnenna Elom, said the fire broke out shortly after she left her shop to attend preparations for a burial ceremony.
She explained that the inferno destroyed goods worth more than ₦1 million, including several drums of cooking oil. According to her, many of the items were purchased on credit, leaving her uncertain about how she would repay suppliers. She added that goods valued at over ₦700,000, which she had obtained earlier that same day, were also lost in the fire.
Mrs. Elom appealed to the Ebonyi State Government and other well-meaning individuals for financial assistance.
Another trader, David Akam, who deals in oil products, said the flames spread from a neighbouring shop and eventually engulfed five shops in total.
He added that he managed to rescue the injured woman whose wrapper had caught fire during the incident, though she sustained serious burns.
Mr. Akam estimated that goods worth over ₦20 million were destroyed in the blaze.
Confirming the incident, the Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (EBSEMA), Clement Ovuoba, said the agency had deployed a team to assess the damage and document the losses.
He described the fire outbreak as unfortunate and assured victims that the situation would be reported to the appropriate authorities to enable possible government intervention and support.
As of the time of filing this report, one child had been confirmed dead, while four other victims were receiving treatment in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.
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