An inferno that gutted a house in Okochiri community, in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, has claimed the life of a mother and her four children in the early hours of Friday, September 18, 2026.
The victims, said to be four children and their mother, reportedly died in the inferno before community youths could put out the fire.
A source in the community alleged that the fire was caused by petrol which caught fire after a spark. However, the claim had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with newsmen, Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, Igwe Godswill, said details surrounding the incident were still sketchy.
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“We just heard the news this morning about the fire. There are no proper details as to what happened, but when we got there this morning, we saw that about four children and their mother, a total of five persons, were burnt and died”.
“But the police had already arrived and taken proper details of what happened. It is so disheartening that this is happening again in our community.
“When we got there this morning, the fire had been put out and the police had already come to the scene. I believe proper investigation will be carried out.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or disclose the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The cause of the fire therefore remains unconfirmed pending the outcome of police investigation.
