Kerosene explosion kills 18-month-old baby in Calabar, uncle hospitalised

month-old baby has been killed by kerosene explosion whle the baby’s uncle in still in critical condition at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

The incident occurred last week Tuesday at Ikot Eka-Ndem in Calabar Municipal, when the uncle tried to fill kerosene into the lamp that was already on. The light exploded on him and the baby. They were both rushed to the hospital but the baby died before reaching the hospital.

When The Guardian visited the family, the baby’s mother in tears said little Delight was playing in the sitting room around 5p.m. when the incident occurred.

“I was in my room when I heard my brother screaming from the sitting room. I knew something serious must have happened. When I came out, I saw my son struggling to put off the fire that was on him and my brother. I immediately pulled the wrapper that was on me and wrapped my little Delight with it while my brother managed to put off his own.”

When asked where they bought the kerosene, she said, “we have been using that kerosene for some time now and that was almost the last of it so I don’t know why it happened that day”.

A similar incident occurred two weeks ago at 4 Miles in Calabar municipal where a house was razed to the ground.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Iyang Asibong, said: “This is not the first case of kerosene explosion we are having in the state. I have severally put up press releases to inform residents not to try to refuel their stoves or lanterns when the fire is still on because most of the cases we had in recent times were as a result of that.”