Sources said the fire, which took residents by surprise, was caused by an electrical fault in the one-room apartment in Igbudu axis of Warri.
Investigation revealed that the inferno had engulfed the room before the children, who were asleep started crying for help from neighbours.
“The midday fire came like harmattan in a thick forest and efforts to save the children was fruitless as the fire spread ferociously and consumed everything in the house, including the children,” said one of the neighbours, who did not want his name in print.
“Most painful was the cry of the innocent children, who were trapped inside the room, for assistance,” said another neighbour, who simply gave his name as Johnbull.The mother of the children, who could not be consoled, was said to have attempted to kill herself on two occasions.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged woman, who introduced herself as a relation of the mother of the victims, has appealed to the state government and public spirited persons to assist the parent of the deceased in any way possible to enable them live again as all their belongings were consumed by the inferno.
