Two children have tragically died in a late-night fire that swept through a cluster of makeshift buildings at Rumuola, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State.

The fire, which started around 10 p.m. on Sunday, reportedly displaced at least 27 families living behind Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt.

Residents said the fire began in a room where a mother, whose name has been withheld, had been cooking before stepping out to buy ingredients. She reportedly locked the door, leaving her four children inside. Two of the children were asleep while the older ones were still awake when the fire broke out.

A resident, identified as Edidiong, described the scene as heartbreaking:

“The fire started from the woman that lost her two children. She was cooking about 10 p.m. and the stove was still on. She locked the door to go and buy some ingredients. When she came back, the buildings were already engulfed. The older children tried to save their younger siblings but ran out because of the heat. That was how the two younger children were burnt to death.”

The makeshift estate was completely razed, leaving dozens of residents homeless.

Confirming the incident, Grace Iringe-Koko, Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, said the victims were aged nine and five.

“From the situation report I received, the children were aged nine and five years. We have started investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire. The mother has been invited for questioning as part of our investigation,” she added.