A devastating fire has engulfed a residential apartment in the Kofar Sauri community in the Katsina metropolitan area, claiming the lives of a couple and three of their children.
The incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, not only killed the family but also destroyed property worth hundreds of thousands of naira.
According to early accounts, the fire broke out shortly after electricity was restored to the neighbourhood.
A resident who declined to be named explained that the power supply returned with a voltage surge, adding that the sudden spike could have triggered the inferno.
âWe have complained about these nighttime power spikes for years,â he said. âLosing an entire family in one night shows something is terribly wrong.â
While some residents blamed the voltage surge, others pointed to the current harmattan weather, which has dominated Katsina in recent days, as a possible contributing factor.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the victimsâthe parents and their three children, have been deposited at a nearby hospital and were scheduled for burial later on Monday in accordance with Islamic rites.
Authorities, including the police and fire service, have yet to issue formal statements, but preliminary investigations are underway.
