Fire kills five at Borno IDPs camp

Five persons were yesterday confirmed killed in a fire incident at the Sani Abacha Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Borno State.

The fire also killed several children, who were sleeping in makeshift tents.

Though the cause of the inferno is yet to be ascertained, it was suspected to have started from a local kitchen, at the west flank of the camp.

It was leant that fire service men were unable to put off the fire, as only one fire-fighting vehicle could access the camp, three hours after the fire broke out.

A source at the International Humanitarian Agency in Maiduguri, confirmed the death of the five people, including three children and others with various degrees of burns.

The source also told The Guardian yesterday that the 7,457 IDPs who had been rendered homeless, ferried their personal effects along Damboa road and Motor Park.

“It was an unfortunate day for the people of Monguno, particularly the IDPs occupying the Stadium camp, as the fire broke out around 11:30a.m,” the source said.

The agency disclosed that the camp, which accommodates 2,000 displaced persons, battled the inferno for close to 45 minutes before the arrival of the fire fighters.