Family Of 12 Perish In Night Fire

An inferno at Chiranchin Gabas quarters in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, Wednesday, claimed the lives of 12 family members.
The victims included four women and eight children, who were consumed by the inferno, which occurred at about 10 p.m. on the fateful day.
An eyewitness, Auwalu Mustapha, told our correspondent, yesterday, that the fire originated from the kitchen attached to the one-storey building in which the victims were staying and spread to the adjoining rooms.
Mustapha, who is a neighbour to the household, said six of the victims came from Gombe for a naming ceremony, which took place last Saturday.
Among the victims, he said, were the mother of the new-born baby and her mother, who also came from Gombe for the naming ceremony.
Another neighbour, Malam Abdulsalam Mohammed, told newsmen that the fire was put out by a combined effort of good Samaritans and men of the state’s fire service.
He added that the fire service men initially found it difficult to access the building due to the poor road network in the area, which according to him, contributed to the severity of the incident.
Meanwhile, four people including the head of the family, Alhaji Kabir Mohammed and the newly-named baby escaped unhurt, while the victims were buried yesterday according to Islamic rites.
The Commissioner of Police in Gombe State, Alhaji Mohammed Gana, who was among those that attended the funeral prayer of the victims, confirmed the incident.
Gana said that his officers and men also participated in the rescue operation.