Two children were killed in a kerosene explosion which occurred at Ikono Ibom in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Their father, Mr Michael Nsikak, a woman from the same community and her three-month old baby suffered severe burns.
According to Mr Nsikak, a tricycle (keke) operator, who also operates a small poultry farm near his house in Ikot Enyingne Ikono:
“I bought kerosene from a filling station along Idoro road as I closed from my Keke business. Upon getting home, I decided to light up the lantern in my poultry farm to keep my birds warm but needed to top up the kerosene in the lamp as it was soon going off.
So I came out of the poultry farm just as my kids followed. As I attempted to light up the lantern there was a loud explosion with a big flame of fire which left me unconscious.”
One of the children died few hours after the explosion while the second died the following day at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH). Mr Nsikak is in critical condition at the hospital
Source: The Nations