6 family members die in Lagos fire

Tragedy struck yesterday after a family of seven were roasted in a fire that engulfed a building at Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos.

However, doctors at the Intensive Care Unit of Gbagada General Hospital are  battling to save the life of the  seventh member of the family, eight- year-old Chidinma who sustained serious burns.

Among those who lost their lives in the inferno, whose cause could not be immediately ascertained, were Mr. Kelechi Ali, his wife, Nkiru, Onoja, their baby boy  of about three weeks old, their son, Favour, of about three years old.
Also killed in the fire were Onoja’s mother, who was on a visit to care for her nursing daughter, and two other children, aged eight and ten years respectively, who were said to have visited for the summer holiday.

The grandmother, said to be in her 60s, had reportedly concluded plans to return to her base at Nsukka , Enugu State yesterday before the unfortunate incident.

The fire, it was gathered, started in Ali’s self- contained apartment located on 21, Michael Ogun street, Obele Lawanson, at about 11pm Tuesday while the family was asleep.

It reportedly raged for over an hour before the arrival of the  fire service. Their shout for help alerted other residents but no one heeded the call.

Reporter gathered that their  charred remains were recovered in different positions by men of  Lagos State Fire Service.

The charred remains of the father was said to have been mangled together with two of his children, while that of his wife was seen with her little baby on her chest.

When visited the scene yesterday, those on rescue were still sighted clearing the debris.An eyewitness who identified herself as Abure Hanna, said:   “A few minutes into my sleep, I heard voices which sounded like people were quarrelling.