The commercial city of Onitsha was on Saturday, July 21, 2018, thrown into mourning as a mother lost his 4-month old baby, Chimmuanya Chukwu to candle fire that gutted a room apartment she lived at Okija Street, Awada in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Journalists gathered that the mother of the baby had left the baby at home around 7 pm to recharge her torch in the compound when the incident happened.
Narrating her ordeal, the mother of the baby, Mrs. Oluchi Chukwu, who was visibly devastated said her baby was fast asleep when she went to charge her phone but unfortunately, the wax of the candlelight melted into an inflammable material she laid on and caught fire.
Her words: “I went out to charge my rechargeable torch because there was no electricity within my vicinity when the candle exhausted its wax and melted on an inflammable material leading to the fire which engulfed my room.
“The people who assisted in putting out the fire could not rescue the baby as they were ignorant of her presence in the room.
“My baby couldn’t have died if those who came to our rescue were aware that she was inside. It was unfortunate that I lost my baby in such a manner.”
Chukwu said she took the baby to a private hospital where she was confirmed dead and was subsequently buried.
A witness who is the caretaker of the building lamented that the baby had died before the inferno was brought under control by neighbours.
Also, a tenant, Innocent Chukwu said the fire could have gone beyond control if the neighbours had not intervened quickly.
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