Kerosene Explosion Kills Siblings, Injures Two Others

Two siblings have died while two others sustained severe burns as a result of two adulterated kerosene explosions in Umuebe village, Ezzamgbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

It was reliably gathered the victims purchased the adulterated kerosene from the same filling station at Ezzamgbo junction.

The explosions happened in two different locations in the area, it was learnt.
The names of the deceased are Joy Ituma, 6 and Joshua Ituma, 4.

The two children and their uncle were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA) where the siblings died.

The severely injured are 34-year-old Mrs. Christiana Idenyi and 17- year- old Uchenna Idoko.

Mrs. Idenyi lamented the explosion occurred immediately she struck the matches to light her lantern.

She said it gave her serious burns, which affected her two legs.

“I went to the filling station and bought the kerosene. I poured it into the lamp immediately I returned.

“So, immediately I struck the matches, it exploded. As you can see, my legs, hands and other parts of my body were burnt,” she lamented.

The deceased’s uncle, Mr. Chukwudi Idoko, who was deeply saddened by the incident, alleged the kerosene was bought from the same filling station.

Mrs. Juliet Igwebuike, who also lives in the building, confirmed she was at the scene of the incident.

According to her: “I was just coming back from church. I went inside to change when I started hearing shouts calling for help.

“I thought he was quarrelling with his sister. But the boy kept ‘shouting help oh!’ ‘It’s fire oh!’

“So, I rushed out immediately. He was already outside the room trying to put out the fire on him.

“There was no way to enter the room. I checked the door net and it was locked. I checked the window, it was locked too.

“Later, the other man took courage and broke the door net that was locked. The boy had earlier broken the window glass and jumped out.

“He kept screaming his brother and sister were inside. One Calabar man in the house, my neighbour, went inside with courage. The other man also moved in also.

“I was standing at the window. They threw out the first child, a girl, from the window and I picked her and poured water on her.

“Later they threw out the second child, a boy, and I also poured water on him.”

Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident.