Two siblings have been burnt to death after their apartment situated on Church Street, Oluwatuyi Quarters, Akure, Ondo State capital, was engulfed by an inferno.
The male children, aged three and five, were locked in the room by their mother, who had gone to buy foodstuffs when the fire started around 3:30 pm.
According to sources, the fire engulfed a large part of the apartment, but it was already late before neighbours knew that the children were inside the building.
A tenant in the house who pleaded anonymity said neighbours mistook the children’s cries as normal routine beatings from their mother.
Burnt remains of the toddlers were found at the entrance of the apartment after the fire was put out. Policemen from the ‘B’ Division in Akure were seen evacuating the corpses.
Meanwhile, the father, who was informed of the incident, was said to have collapsed and rushed to the hospital.
While confirming the incident, the police public relations officer in the state, CSP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, stated that children were choked and burnt to death.
