PAINFUL: Three siblings burnt to death in Lagos fire after church service

Three children of the same parents reportedly died in an inferno that destroyed the top floor of a two-storey building at Jakande Estate, Mile 2, Lagos, at about 10p.m., Tuesday night. The children, identified as Ayomide, 10; Kemi, 7; and Darasimi, 8 months, were burnt to death before men of the fire service could rescue them. According to Vanguard,it was gathered that the inferno was caused by a candle lit by the mother of the children, after they returned from church. The burning candle was said to have fallen on some items in the apartment, causing the fire that gutted their flat and consumed the children, who were sleeping. It was learned that the mother of the children was in her shop, a few metres away from the house, while their father was downstairs. A neighbour, Kingsley Efon, said: “The incident happened in the night. The children had just returned from church when their mother took them inside to sleep. “I was downstairs when we noticed the fire. I raised the alarm. Neighbours and people around began to carry water upstairs to curtail the fire and rescue the children. “But it was all like magic. In an instant, the fire had spread to the living room where the children were sleeping. There was no space to rescue the children, let alone the property.” Christy Macaulay, one of the occupants of the building, said: “I am grateful to God for the courage he gave to me to open the burglary proof. That was how my children and I escaped. “It was later I learned that my neighbour’s three children were inside when the incident happened and all of them got burnt to death. It is just so unfortunate that things like this had to happen at this time.” A neighbour was said to have called the Fire Service at Festac Town several times, but that the firemen took hours to respond. A resident said: “When we called, they said they were on their way; it took them several hours to arrive. “Before they came, the Fire Service at Oshodi had arrived, and the inferno had spread to the next flat and consumed everything. “Even when they came, one of the officials said they had not been paid for months and that he was not going to kill himself trying to put out fire. “If the fire services had come on time, they would have been able to rescue at least one of the children.” Fire Service boss reacts Confirming the report, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razak Fadipe, said three children died in the fire disaster, explaining that the service was not called on time to put out the fire. “We got a distress call last night and when we got there, we discovered that it was a building that was on fire,” he said. Fadipe confirmed the fire was caused by a candle lit by the family. He said two water tanks were used in putting out the fire, adding that Oshodi and Festac Fire Stations were involved. The Fire Service boss appealed to residents to desist from using candle, and canvassed the use of rechargeable lamps. According to him, the top floor of the building was razed, particularly the two flats on the top floor where the deceased children and their family occupied.