A devastating incident has shaken the community of Nkwele Ezunaka, near Onitsha, Anambra State, as a middle-aged man, his wife, and two children were found dead in their new apartment after reportedly inhaling poisonous fumes from a generating set. The tragic event occurred shortly after the family moved into their new residence to celebrate the arrival of a newborn baby.
The man identified as Ifeanyi, a trader at Onitsha Bridge Head Market, had planned a surprise for his wife and children, intending to move them into a new apartment to mark the birth of their newborn baby. However, their joyous celebration quickly turned into tragedy as they unknowingly fell victim to the deadly fumes.
According to a family source, the celebration continued into the night, and the man placed a generating set at the veranda close to their bedroom due to a sudden power outage. Unfortunately, in the midst of the festivities, they all fell asleep, forgetting to turn off the generating set. The next morning, a friend who was supposed to join them in the celebration went to visit but found the doors locked and the generating set still running.
Alarmed and unable to get a response, the friend alerted other neighbors, and they forced the door open, only to discover the lifeless bodies of the entire family. The wife and one of the daughters were still unconscious and were rushed to Borromeo hospital, where efforts to resuscitate them, including providing oxygen, proved futile as they later passed away.
The couple’s four-day-old baby was the only survivor without any health issues, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the other family members. Rev. Fr. Izunna Okonkwo, the manager of St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, confirmed that the newborn baby was in stable condition when they reached the hospital, but the other family members had already succumbed to the effects of the poisonous fumes.
The police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, expressed condolences and described the incident as unfortunate. The police are conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of the tragic deaths, and the house where the incident occurred has been identified. The community is left in shock and mourning, awaiting answers and closure as the authorities continue their inquiry into this heartbreaking incident.
