PORT HARCOURT—Two persons were burnt in an inferno that razed about 30 makeshift houses at Elechi Beach in Diobu area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in the early hours of yesterday.
Vanguard gathered that the fire started at 12.30 a.m., from a candle that was allegedly lit in one of the makeshift apartments in the neighbourhood.
Property worth several millions of naira were consumed in the inferno that raged on for about one hour before fire fighters extinguished it.
Some of the victims, who spoke to Vanguard, said the two persons, a lady and her child were rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
According to sources, the lady was asleep when the fire started.
It was said that it took efforts of neighbours to break into her apartment to rescue the baby who woke up and tried to wake her mummy and at the same time, cried out as the fire was spreading towards to them.
“They suffered some degree of burn before help could come their way. The child also inhaled much smoke. They have been rushed to the hospital,” a source said.
Another source, who resides in the area said that the timely arrival of fire fighters from the state helped to reduce the impact of the inferno in the area.