How two sisters, son, daughter of a trader died in Abuja explosion

•Mother seriously burnt

•Victims recount ordeals

ABUJA -Tragedy as two sisters were among the five victims who lost their lives in the Friday night kerosene explosion which took place at Kubwa Village Market in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This was narrated by their surviving father, Fidelis Obinna, Saturday.

The father of the deceased, Obinna gave their names as Chioma and Angel.

It was also learnt the victims’ mother is currently hospitalised, according to the father.

Also a trader, Mrs. Obilor Chidinma, who lost her 16 years old son and a daughter is still in a critical condition was taken to Kubwa General Hospital on the order of the FCT Minister of State.

The bereaved Obinna explained that the fire was preceded by a bang, was caused by kerosene tank explosion.

He asserted: “There was no power supply; no cooking or frying around, but all we heard was an explosion.

“I lost two of my daughters, Chioma and Angel to the fire.

“My wife sells foodstuffs around here and she is now hospitalised at the National Hospital, Abuja, with serious burns.

“The doctor told us nothing would happen to my wife, but that the injuries were too much; it’s all over her body except her breasts.”

Another victim, Queen Bulus, who sustained injuries, said she got burnt when an overhead electricity cable fell on her hand.

“I was sitting and selling plantain, then the wires sparked and suddenly one of the wires from the electricity poles cut and burnt me.

“All I could remember was that I ran away through the back to my house and left everything I was selling which later burnt to ashes.

“My mother took me to the hospital and I thank God I was attended to in good time,’’ she said.

An eyewitness, Aliyu Ibrahim, said that many people were burnt, but a hospital initially refused to attend to a survivor because no police official accompanied the victim and his rescuers.

“The patient was taken to three different hospitals but was refused treatment initially,’’ he said.

Another eyewitness, Chukwudi Agu, applauded the timely response of the Fire Services and those of security agencies in the area.

“The Fire Service really did well because if not for them, all the buildings here would have gone down as the level of fire here was intense.

“I really thank God they responded on time unlike in the past because I have never seen them perform that way. I give kudos to them”.