It was a tragic incident as an Onitsha trader, his wife, two children, mother-in-law, and newly arrived apprentice have been reportedly killed by fumes suspected to emanate from their generating set the first night they slept in their new mansion.
According to their sympathisers who wailed uncontrollably, yesterday, at Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, where the bodies were taken to, said the man, Mr Ifeanyi, from Enugu state, a trader at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market, had planned a surprise package for his wife after her discharge from the hospital having been delivered of a new baby.
An eyewitness told journalists that Ifeanyi had decided that they would park in his new mansion at Nkwele Ezunaka to celebrate the newborn and the new house together.
Following a blackout from the public power source, he switched on the generating set, which he stationed on the veranda close to the bedroom to provide electricity in the new house that night.
They were said to have made merry into the night before they slept off without switching off the generating set.
The next morning, a family friend, who was supposed to join them in the celebration, but could not make it, went to felicitate with them, only to discover that the doors were locked from the inside while generating set was still on.
It was gathered that after knocking continuously without a response from the family, the visitor alerted some neighbours who forced the door open and saw the lifeless bodies of the family members.
The sympathisers rushed the victims to the hospital; Ifeanyi’s wife and one of the daughters were still semi-conscious, but later died as all efforts to resuscitate them failed.
It was gathered further that the only survivor was the four-day-old baby who had no crisis, thereby raising more curiosity about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Chairman of Onitsha Bridgehead Drugs Market, Mr Ndubuisi Chukwuneta, who confirmed the sad incident, described Ifeanyi as a hardworking young man, who desired the best for his family.
Manager of St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Izunna Okonkwo, confirmed that only the new- born-baby was in stable condition when they reached the hospital as four of the victims had died before arriving at the hospital.
