One-year-old baby burnt to death in Calabar

A one-year-old baby has been burnt to death in a thatched house in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, as a result of a candlelight fire.

The incident was said to have occurred at the Eta Agbor area of Calabar Municipality on October 9.

News Agency of Nigeria reported that the thatched house was completely burnt down.

According to NAN, Ms Glory Etim-Akpan, mother of the child, said her child was sick and so she went out to a pharmacy in the area to get drugs and pampers for her.

She explained that she left the child, a baby girl, Kate Dickson, at home sleeping, while the candlelight was burning.

“My baby was having cough and catarrh, so I decided to go out to buy drugs and pampers for her. Before I went out of the house, I lighted a candle on top of a metal plate in our room.

“I didn’t even get to the pharmacy when I was called that our house was on fire and It was not up to 30 minutes that I left the house.

“Neighbours around heard my baby crying, but they couldn’t intervene. When I came back, we broke the door and I found out that my baby was already burnt to death.

“Also, I lost all my properties including my certificates. The fire burnt down my apartment completely,” she lamented.

According to Etim-Akpan, her life has been shattered because she has nowhere to stay, no food to eat, and no clothes to wear.