Family of four perish in explosion caused by adulterated kerosene

A family of four, have reportedly lost their lives from kerosene explosion at 125 Murtala Muhammed Highway, Ikor Omin in 8 miles, Calabar, Cross River State.

It was gathered that the kerosene sold to the family was adulterated.

The two-bedroom apartment occupied by the victims was razed and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

An eyewitness who gave her name as Rachel Akpan, blamed the incident on adulterated kerosene which, she said, exploded as one of the deceased children, Miracle, was about filling the lantern with kerosene.

Akpan said, “I was inside my apartment when I heard something exploded like a bomb, and as I rushed outside, I saw my neighbour’s house engulfed with smoke and uncontrollable flame of fire just within a twinkling of an eye. “One of our neighbours said that before the explosion, she heard the young woman, Nseobong Uduak, telling her first son, Miracle, to fill the lantern with kerosene.

“Everybody was battling on how to put off the inferno and rescue the victims, but before we could do so, Silas and the baby had been burnt to death. Miracle and the mother were rushed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital but both gave up the ghost.

“Some neighbours put a call through to the State fire service but help never came and the neighbours managed to put out the fire all by themselves. She expressed surprise that the fire service has not been forthcoming in terms of rescue during emergencies.”

A Resident, who gave his name as Evangelist Jeremiah Joshua, expressed surprise that cases of kerosene explosion were becoming too rampant in Calabar and therefore called on the Federal Government to ascertain the source of kerosene supplied to the masses for domestic usage.