A nine-year-old girl identified as Testimony was burnt to death in a fire accident that occurred in Ondo town, the headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The young girl, who was said to be mentally unstable, was reportedly locked inside a four-bedroom flat in the Samakinwa area of Ondo town while her guardian left for church service on Sunday.
According to a source, the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but it was allegedly triggered by an electrical surge. The source said residents attempted to extinguish the fire when they noticed the outbreak around 4 p.m.
He explained that all efforts to rescue the girl before the fire engulfed the building were unsuccessful, as the door leading to the room was securely locked.
Several properties were destroyed in the blaze, and despite frantic efforts to save the young girl, she was burnt beyond recognition.
The charred remains of the girl were later recovered from the room and deposited in a morgue.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Yaba Division, CSP Victor Olowolagba, who led a team of officers to the scene, said detectives had begun investigating the incident.
He disclosed that four persons had been invited for questioning as part of efforts to determine the exact cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Olowolagba assured the community that the police would thoroughly investigate the incident.
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