By Nneka Nwogwugwu
A 70-year-old man, Pa Fidelis Ezinne, has lost six members of his family during a fire outbreak in Ngbede community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Pa Ezinne, who survived the inferno said some of the victims were his children and grandchildren.
While narrating the incident, Ezinne told the Punch that he only heard the sound from a generator in one of the rooms in the house at about 6.30pm.
“I was sitting outside before my freezer blew. Then what we saw next was an explosion which got everybody wounded.
“This was about 6.30 to 7pm. About six people have died -My son, his wife and child, the daughter of my wife and one other person.
“If government want to help, let them come and help me,” he pleaded with emotion-laden voice.
Another eyewitness simply identified as Eric said the incident might have been caused by an electric fault where a refrigerator was connected to a stabilizer.
Reacting to the incident, Commander of a Vigilante group called OSPAC in the area, Godknows Nkem, advised residents to be cautious when handling flammable materials.
In a related development, fire destroyed goods and property worth millions of Naira at the Etche Waterfront in Borokiri axis Of Port Harcourt on Christmas day.
