KANO, Nigeria (BN24)— Four members of a family in Kano State died early Wednesday after a fire swept through their home at Kundila Layin Baba Impossible in the Tarauni Local Government Area, authorities said.
The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the tragedy in a statement by its spokesperson, Saminu Abdullahi. The blaze was reported at about 4:13 a.m. by one of the agency’s personnel, Abba Datti, who alerted colleagues as flames consumed the ground-floor residence.
Firefighters arrived to find the building, measuring roughly 40 by 30 feet and used for residential purposes, already engulfed. According to the Fire Service, the fire destroyed two bedrooms, a parlour, a kitchen, and a toilet as it advanced through the structure, trapping the occupants inside.
Among the victims were the 43-year-old head of the household, Shodandi; his wife, Rafi’a, 30; and their two young daughters, three-year-old Mardiya and one-and-a-half-year-old Yusira, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the only survivor was a 12-year-old boy, Aminu Shodandi, who was rescued by firefighters.
The Fire Service extended condolences to the bereaved family and urged residents to exercise greater caution with fire-related materials, especially during the harmattan period when conditions heighten the risk of ignition.
A preliminary investigation indicated the fire was sparked by a mosquito coil the family had lit before going to sleep, the agency said.
