Petrol fire kills couple, renders four-month-baby orphan in Jos

The ongoing fuel scarcity across the country, yesterday, led to death of an illegal petrol marketer and his wife in Jos.

The incident occurred when a fire erupted from their kitchen, where Mr. Gideon Pam hoarded petrol at their residence in Zawan community in Jos South Local Council of Plateau State.

Narrating the incident, an eyewitness and neighbour, Miss Shantel Alphonsus, said: “Pam runs an illegal petrol business at Zawan Junction. In the morning, he was called upon to get more supply from a fuel station, so he rushed bank home to get some empty gallons to hoard the commodity.

“In a bid to empty some of the gallons that had fuel in them, suddenly there was a fire outbreak in the kitchen where the gallons were kept and Pam was trapped.

“His wife, Mercy, who had gone out earlier returned and saw smoke emitting from the house.

“She went into the house to save her husband, but was equally trapped in the inferno.”

Alphonsus said the couple left a four-month-old baby, who was earlier taken away by Pam’s mother at an earlier visit.

Confirming the incident, Director, Plateau Fire Service, Mr. Caleb Polit, expressed regret that the couple were burnt beyond recognition and the house razed before firemen could reach the scene.