By Ike Uchechukwu
CALABAR—Many rained curses on a woman who allegedly left her five years old twins at home unattended to as they were both consumed by the fire that razed their building in Calabar, the Cross River state capital yesterday.
It was gathered that the woman left a candle on the refrigerator in her room at 9 Edem Okon Street, II Transformer Inynasang in Calabar, in the early hours of yesterday, which later ignited a fire that consumed her two sons, Bishop and Ituobong and the building.
A neighbour and victim, Mr Daniel Udoh, said the tragedy was quite unfortunate and could have been avoided but for the carelessness of the mother of the children.
His words: “Their mother made them tea and bread and left for her boyfriend’s house leaving a candlelight on the refrigerator and asked them to off the candle when they were done but they slept off.
“I started noticing smoke at about 1 am and before I could come out with my son my house was already in flames from the roof while the woman’s room was already engulfed in fire.
“We tried putting off the fire but it was very difficult because of the rubber ceiling(PVC) which eventually escalated the fire that took over the entire compound. I had no choice than to leave the place, I didn’t come out with a pin, I lost everything in the fire,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs Gloria Asuquo, said the lady who fries yam and beans cake(akara), left her only children in the house to meet a lover.
