80-year-old woman roasted alive in Benue morning fire outbreak

Tragedy struck in Tse Agubor Gyaruwa, Tsambee-Mbesev Council Ward of Gwer West Local Government Area, Benue State, after an 80-year-old woman lost her life in a fire that engulfed over 50 houses and property worth millions of naira.

The tragedy unfolded when hunters set bushes ablaze in the community while pursuing animals, and the fire quickly spiraled out of control.

According to a local source, the inferno erupted over the weekend, with the hunters inadvertently triggering a blaze that rapidly spread to houses, huts, and farmlands. The elderly woman, unable to escape her home, tragically perished in the fire.

“The 80-year-old woman could not escape from her home and nobody remembered or knew that she was trapped in the house,” the source disclosed. “It was much later that the people realized that she was there, but it was already late. She died in the fire before help could reach her.”

Ayatse Agubor, the Village Head of the community, confirmed the incident, revealing that the fire occurred around 10 am when villagers were tending to their farms.

In a related incident, a separate fire ravaged part of the Mandilas building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, causing the destruction of goods worth several millions of naira. The fire originated from a warehouse on the first floor of the 10-storey building. While there were no reported casualties, efforts by traders to contain the fire proved unsuccessful as it spread to other floors, emitting thick smoke.

Margaret Adeseye, the Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that a distress call was received around 3.15 pm, and fire stations were swiftly deployed to the scene. “The fire started on the first floor and spread to the fourth floor. Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu Fire Stations were deployed to the scene,” she informed. The cause of the inferno in Lagos is yet to be determined.