Three people, including a woman and her five-month-old grandson, have lost their lives, following outbreak of fire at VIP lodge extension in Gwallameji area of Yelwa in Bauchi metropolis.
The fire, according to eyewitnesses, started from the room of the deceased, known as Mama, when she was asleep with her grandson and a seven-year-old girl believed to be a babysitter.
Daily Sun learnt that neighbours made efforts to rescue the victims to no avail.
Our correspondent learnt that by the time fire-fighters arrived, the entire 15-room- building, occupied mostly by students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, had been razed down.
The caretaker of the affected house, Mr. Adegoke Adeyinka, told Daily Sun that the fire was caused by explosion from a generating set, which was kept inside the room of the deceased.
Adeyinka said the owner of the room was one Mrs. Doris Patrick, an HND II student of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) Department of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.
He said Doris, who occupied room six, travelled to Kogi State to visit her husband and left her baby and the seven- year-old girl with her mother.
Most occupants of the 15-room-hostel were not around at the time of the fire.
A next door neighbour, Esther Eluwa, said the sound of the generator, which was serviced on the afternoon of that fateful day, was disturbing her sleep and she complained.
Miss Eluwa said after some time, the person repairing the generator packed it inside the room.
Miss Damilola Ehindero, room mate to Miss Eluwa and an HND II student of Hospitality and Tourism Management, said a friend called her and told her that her house was on fire.
“I was told the fire started from Mama’s room and the little girl, Abike, was burnt beyond recognition while Mama and the baby were rushed to the hospital.
“By the time I came back, everything in my room was burnt to ashes, gone. My room mate was not around too. We couldn’t pick anything from the house,” she said.
Another occupant, Rotimi Ogundipe, who retained his room at the lodge after graduation, lost all his credentials including the NYSC discharge certificate he was issued few days to the unfortunate fire.
Adeyinka said efforts to rescue the deceased from their room were not successful and they had to call the fire fighters.
“We were trying to break the door but Mama was also struggling to come out, she was holding the baby when we eventually succeeded in breaking the door. “We saw her on the floor. She struggled to open the door. She was holding the baby, she was weak, and was crying ‘baby’, ‘baby,’ was referring to Abike. “But it was too late, Abike was burnt to ashes, I could only see her head and parts of her body. It was very sad thing.”
The old woman and her grandson died the following day at the ABUTH, Bauchi the next day.
The Sarkin Sabon Galadima, Hassan Ibrahim, described the fire incident as unfortunate and appealed to the Federal Governemnt to provide a fire sub station in the area.
Hassan said: “Only this year alone, I have experienced three fire incidents in my area. We sympatise with the families of the deceased and the students who lost al their valuables to the fire.”
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