How family of four died in early morning fire

Residents of Kundila Housing Estate in Tarauni Local Government Area, Kano, were plunged into grief on Wednesday after a fire claimed the lives of four members of the same family.

The victims, a husband, wife, and their two young children, aged three and one-and-a-half, were burnt to death in their two-bedroom apartment. The family has been identified as Shodandi (father, 43), his wife Rafi’a (30), and their children Mardiya Shodandi (3) and Yusira Shodandi (1½). Their eldest son, Aminu Shodandi, aged 12, was rescued alive by Kano State Firefighters.

Kano State Fire Service spokesperson Saminu Yusif confirmed that the blaze was brought under control and that preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started from a mosquito coil used in the family’s apartment.

He said, “At about 4:13 a.m., our Emergency Response Unit received a call reporting a fire at Kundila Layin Baba Impossible. On arrival, we found the ground-floor building engulfed in flames, affecting two bedrooms, a parlour, a kitchen, and a toilet. Five people were trapped, four of whom sadly perished.”

The fire service extended condolences to the bereaved family and urged the public to exercise caution, particularly as the harmattan season begins, which often heightens fire risks.

This tragedy comes just a week after a massive fire razed over 500 shops in Shuwaki Market, Gari Local Government Area, reportedly caused by careless behaviour of some residents within the market premises.