The Benue Police Command has confirmed deaths of three members of a family as a result of fire disaster in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sewuese Anene, made the confirmation on Friday in Makurdi.

An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity to the News Agency of Nigeria said the accident occurred in a two-bedroom flat of Jesus College Quarters, home of the father of the victims, Mr Ochoche Ode, around 1.00 am.

According to Ode, the fire was noticed at midnight on Friday by his wife’s younger sister who perceived the smell that something was burning while three of his kids were asleep.

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He said that he was in one of the rooms with his wife when they were alerted of the incident.

“As I was about going to find out what was happening, the fire surged covering the whole room where my kids were sleeping and in an attempt to force myself into the room to rescue the children; my face got badly burnt.

“All attempts by neighbours to quell the fire failed and all my three children were burnt to death,” Ode said.

The cause of the fire outbreak was yet to be known at the time of filing this report.