A five-year-old girl lost her life in a tragic fire that swept through a residential building at EFAB Metropolis Estate, Karasana, in the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday.
The fire, which broke out around 1 a.m. at No. 16 Ottawa Street, was reportedly caused by an electrical spark in a children’s room socket.
Eyewitnesses said the family was downstairs when the fire started upstairs in the children’s room.
A resident, speaking anonymously, lamented the lack of a fire station within the estate, which has over 1,000 houses.
“If we had a fire station here, the damage could have been minimised. Originally, locations were designated for a hospital, recreation centre, and fire station, but these were sold off. A fire station is an urgent necessity to prevent future tragedies,” another resident added.
The Chairman of the House Owners’ Association, Afeez Olopade, expressed grief over the incident and pledged support for the bereaved family.
He acknowledged repeated calls for a functional fire station and vowed to engage the estate developer, Dr. Fabian Nwaorah, on the urgent need for firefighting infrastructure.
Acting Director of the FCT Fire Service, Aminola Adebayo, confirmed the incident, stating that the fire consumed household items, including furniture and kitchen equipment.
“The fire was brought under control through the combined efforts of the FCT Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service, but sadly, a five-year-old girl lost her life,” Adebayo said.
