Boy dies in midnight fire in Rivers

A two-year-old boy has lost his life following a midnight fire that razed over 30 makeshift houses along Omuodudoro Road, Rumuagholu area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It was learnt that the father of the child, a night watch guard, had left his three children overnight to work, when the fire broke out around 2 am, Monday.

An eyewitness account said the victim was asleep with his two older siblings when the fire got to their room.

According to the account, the first child, a seven-year-old, had jumped out through the window, helping the other.

“The eldest child, who is about seven years, jumped out of the room through the window, because their mother locked the door outside while she was leaving the house late at night.

“When the eldest jumped out, the other second son, who is about five years tried to jump and the one that was already outside held his hand and pulled him out. There was no way for then to go back to help the two-year-old boy,” the source added.