A kerosene explosion has killed four members of same family in Ikot Ekpo community in Calabar, Cross River state
The explosion which occurred on Monday, August 24, 2020 was caused by adulterated keresene killing a family which hail from Ukwa Eburutu in Odukpani local government of the State.
45-year-old Esuabana Thomas Okon died in the explosion along with his two children, 14-year-old Okon Esua and 12-year-old Edet Esua Thomas. Their in-law named Matthew also lost his life in the tragic incident.
Esuabana’s wife and daughter were the only survivors of the tragedy.
The landlord, Engineer Efiom Offiong Efanga, speaking on the incident revealed he was not at the scene when it happened but only received a phone call at about 10pm informing him about the incident.
Effanga said, “I had a call at about a minute to 10 O’clock that there was a fire outbreak in my compound so I had to rush down here. By the time I got here, the neighbours had succeeded in putting out the fire but they did not know initially that people had actually been burnt inside because it seems there were no screams.
“It was after the fire was extinguished that we discovered three persons inside who were already dead. Another victim, who was also fatally burnt, was rushed to the hospital but he gave up the ghost on the way and so his dead body was brought back.
“The only survivor among the children is the daughter. I met her in that Church close to my compound, very frightened. She told me that the mum asked the elderly brother to refill the lantern but the boy refused and went inside, and that after some minute, the mum decided to send her to refill the lantern and that as soon as she poured the kerosene into the already lit but dim lantern, there was a huge explosion so she threw the lantern away and ran out. She said the mother was outside easing herself when the explosion occurred.”
A relative of the deceased, Samuel Inyang who spoke to the press said the incident remains a mystery as they could not explain how the girl who lit the lantern escaped the house and those who lost their lives were trapped in the house even when the door was open.
“The incident happened in the kitchen. The four persons who died were in the room but we cannot explain why they could not run out of the door. How can our kerosene be exploding like bombs?It is a mystery that the door was opened but our brother and his children and in-law could not escape,” Inyang said.
He added, “The fire incident started in the kitchen, not the room, and they had every opportunity to have escaped but they could not. It is a mystery.”
Speaking about adulterated kerosene, Inyang called on the government to end petroleum bunkering which he said encourages dealers to mix other liquid with kerosene.
Inyang said, “Bunkering kerosene is believed to be responsible for all these explosions. The government should rise to the occasion and save the lives of Nigerians.”
