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Community mourns as blaze claims siblings aged four months to 12 years in Mangu
Residents of Mangu town in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State are in deep mourning following a tragic late-night fire outbreak that claimed the lives of six siblings on Thursday.
A resident, Saidu Nasir, confirmed the incident to Saturday PUNCH in Jos on Friday, describing the tragedy as devastating for the entire community.
“Six children eventually died in the fire incident. I know their father—he is a vulcaniser—and the family is currently in deep mourning. We pray that God comforts them at this difficult time,” Nasir said.
Family sources disclosed that the children, who lived around the Old Mangu Market area, were aged between four months and 12 years.
An uncle of the victims, Umar Babangida, said the fire broke out at about 2:00 a.m., catching the family off guard. He revealed that the children’s mother sustained severe burns while attempting to rescue them and is currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital, Mangu.
Another family member, Aliyu, explained that the mother and her nine children had been watching television until about 11:00 p.m. before retiring for the night.
“Later, the three male children went to sleep, leaving the mother with the six younger ones,” he said.
Aliyu added that the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, although there was electricity supply before the family went to bed.
“We cannot categorically say what caused the incident. Around 2:30 a.m., we received a distress call that fire had engulfed the house,” he explained.
According to him, the mother made desperate attempts to pull the children out of the room but was unable to save them, resulting in the injuries she sustained.
Following the incident, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area visited the bereaved family to commiserate with them.
Aliyu said the governor urged the family to find solace despite the tragedy and promised government support to help rebuild the destroyed house.
“The governor and our local government chairman have visited us to offer their condolences. We are grateful to everyone who came to our rescue. During the fire outbreak, we witnessed unity and compassion, as both Muslims and Christians came out in large numbers to help,” he added.
The tragic incident has renewed calls from residents for improved fire safety awareness and emergency response measures in the area.
