A mother and her four children have died in a fire that engulfed their residence in Okochiri community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred on Friday morning, while the cause of the fire had yet to be established.
An unidentified source said the fire may have started when someone attempted to transfer petrol into a jerrycan, causing the fuel to ignite suddenly. The source also suggested that the petrol might have been contaminated.
The Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika LGA, Igwe Godswill, confirmed the incident but said details remained sketchy.
Godswill said he visited the scene with his team and found the bodies of the woman and her four children.
He said youths in the community had already put out the fire before his arrival, adding that the victims were believed to have died before the flames were extinguished.
The official described the incident as tragic and called for a proper investigation to determine what caused the fire.
The police had also arrived at the scene and were said to be gathering information about the incident.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, said she would verify the report and provide an update.
However, she had not responded as of Friday afternoon.
A video from the scene showed a woman complaining about the cramped condition of the building, while parts of the roof and structure appeared to have been damaged by the fire.