Three worshippers at a church, Mercyland Prayers Ministry located at
Okoro area of Ibadan city were burnt to death in an early morning
inferno that razed the church Monday.
Hundreds of members of the church as well as sympathisers gathered at
the scene of the incident where some shed tears over the tragic fire.
Also, four others including a pregnant woman escaped death by whiskers
in the inferno which started at about 1.45am.
It was learnt that trouble started when the fire said to have emanated
towards the front axis of the church spread into some of the power
generating set fully loaded with petrol resulting in the sudden spread
into other parts of the church.
During the inferno which lasted for almost three hours, the three
worshippers two men and a woman, all the power generating sets fully
loaded with petrol, the roof of the church as well as the plastic and
wooden chairs were completely burnt.
According to one of the lucky survivors identified as Akin, some of
the worshippers were said to be sleeping when they were trapped by the
raging fire.
The survivor said the flame together with heavy smoke immediately
enveloped the church resulting in the worshippers struggling for
escape.
He stressed that it took divine intervention for him to rescue a
pregnant woman out of the thick smoke before heading for a nearby safe
place.
Despite the timely arrival of men of the Oyo state Fire brigade
services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria
Police it took their frantic efforts before putting off the fire at
about 4.05am
It was however a weeping galore as hundreds of the symphatizers that
stormed the scene sighted the three burnt bodies on the floor of the
church.
