Fire Outbreak Kills 8-Month-old In Rivers
…Council chair gives #7m to victims of gas explosion
Barikui Felix- Port Harcourt
An eight-month-old baby is feared to have died following a fire at a self-contained apartment on Rumuworlu Street in the Eneka area of Obio Akpor local government area of Rivers State.
Although the actual cause of the fire, which occurred Monday morning, is still unknown, the inferno affected two of the seven units of the self-contained apartments in the area.
Eyewitnesses at the scene of the fire incident said that the mother of the baby who ran into the burning house to rescue her two children also sustained injuries in the process. Her two-year-old survived with severe injuries, the 8-month-old died as a result of suffocation from the inferno.
It was reported that personnel of the Rivers State Emergency Medical Service later arrived at the scene and took the victims to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, RSUTH, for medical attention.
Similarly, the chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, has given an additional seven million naira to victims of the January 4th gas explosion in the Oroazi axis of the state.
The sum is in addition to the initial three million naira he gave to Sonabel Hospital in Oroazi three days after the gas explosion, for the treatment of the victims.
Ihunwo, who visited the hospital on Monday to check the conditions of victims of the gas explosion, announced the release of another four million naira to the management of the hospital.
Meanwhile, during a similar visit to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Ihunwo, who was received by the Chief Medical Director, Professor Chizindu Alikor, also doled out three million naira for treating the victims.
The council chairman also gave one million naira to family members of the victims who were on the ground in the hospital at the time of his visit.
Explaining his reason for the donation, Ihunwo said he wants to ensure that the victims recover fully from the unfortunate incident without any financial implication.
He said one of the main focuses of his administration is to protect lives and property and improve the people’s economic fortunes.
” I was here last week to see things for myself. I am here again to see how the patients are faring. This is because the lives of our people mean a lot to us as an administration.There is no way we can sleep well when our people are in this kind of pain. We share in this moment with them.”
“We will not just support you financially; as a council, we are praying for your total recovery from this tragic incident. All we ask is for you to be strong during this trying period. We are in this together,” he said.
At the Sonabel hospital in Oroazi, the proprietor, Mr Sunny Obele, told Ihunwo and his team that the four victims who were brought to his facility on the day of the incident are responding well to treatment.
He thanked the Chairman for his magnanimity in paying off the bills for their treatment from day one to the present and beyond.
Also, at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, the Chief Medical Director, Professor Chizindu Alikor, described the situation as pathetic.
He said that while three people had past on, the remaining victims are receiving better care thanks to the support from the Rivers state government and other well-meaning individuals.
Alikor said the three million naira donation from Ihunwo will aid the treatment of the victims.
