A fire disaster has killed two children, Zainab Bashir and Ummu-Salma Bashir aged 7 and 5 accordingly in Madina Quarters, a community in the Bauchi metropolis.
WikkiTimes reports that the incident plunged residents of the community into mourning on Sunday morning.
Both victims who were siblings died beneath oozing smoke from the fire despite community and firefighters’ efforts to rescue them.
The fire broke out at a residence near Barden Gabas Primary School, Madina Quarters starting around 11:00 am on Sunday.
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Reports indicate that at the time of the incident, the mother of the deceased locked them inside the house while she went out, possibly to the market for a shopping.
Similarly, the father of the children, Bashir Muhammad, was not at home and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
“When we noticed the fire, myself and some neighbours rushed to help, but our attempts to open the gate were unsuccessful.
“Eventually, we managed to break down the door and enter the house, only to find the flames had already spread to the room where the children were,” an eyewitness recounted.
A resident of the area, Usman Abdullahi said, “This tragedy was destined, but it was unusual for the mother to leave her children alone. Usually, she would leave them with me as our houses are nearby.”
