Tragedy struck at Umuazu Community in Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State following the death of a couple and their three children, last Monday.
Although the cause of the death was not immediately ascertained, eye witnesses told The Tide that the incident may have been caused by generator fumes.
According to the witness, the late Andrew Monye, an indigene of Delta State and his wife, who hailed from one of the Ikwerre local government areas of Rivers State, had gone to bed the previous night with four of their children
However, one of the children who is currently receiving treatment at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), raised alarm the following morning which attracted neighbours who immediately rushed into the house, and discovered the five dead bodies covered with fumes.
The incident was immediately reported to the Umuebulu Police Division, while the dead bodies were taken to the McDavid Mortuary located along the Igbo-Etche-Rumukwurushi Road.
Speaking in an interview with The Tide, Mr John Okeleke, a resident of Umuazu and immediate neighbour to the deceased, said that the incident which was the first of its kind in the community has thrown the entire community into mourning.
Okeleke, who claimed to be among those who took the dead bodies to the mortuary, confirmed that the deceased kept their steaming generator in their rest room and locked up all the windows and doors.
He, however, blamed the incessant use of generators in the community on the poor electricity supply in the area, stressing that, if there had been constant power supply, nobody would need to use generators.
However, when contacted, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said that he was not yet aware of the incident.
“I am not yet aware of the incident.
“I will make contact with our division in that area to ascertain what you are saying”, he said.

John Bibor & Denis Naku