Generator fumes kills family, mother-in-law in Onitsha, 4-day-old baby survives

A terrible tragedy occurred during a family first night in their new home in Nkwelle Ezunuka, Oyi Local Government Area, near Onitsha, claiming the lives of Ifeanyi, his wife Amaka, their two children, Amaka’s mother, and an apprentice, due to poisonous fumes from a generator, leaving only their four-day-old baby as the sole survivor.

The incident happened on Thursday night, July 20, 2023. The family was happy and celebrating in their new house when suddenly the electricity went off. To keep the celebration going, Ifeanyi quickly set up a generator outside the bedroom.

As the night went on, the family went to sleep without turning off the generator. Sadly, the fumes filled the house while they slept, and they couldn’t wake up the next morning. A friend who was supposed to join them that night went to their house but found the doors locked and the generator still running.

The friend alerted other neighbors, and they forced open the door. Inside, they found the family unconscious. Tragically, Ifeanyi, Amaka, their children, and Amaka’s mother had already passed away. The apprentice was also among the deceased.

The four-day-old baby was the only one alive. They rushed the baby to St. Charles Borromeo Hospital in Onitsha, where the child is now in stable condition. Sadly, despite the hospital’s efforts, Amaka and one of the daughters couldn’t be saved and were declared dead.

The police are investigating the incident, and they’ll share more information once they finish their inquiry.

“The entire members of the family were in their new mansion celebrating when suddenly there was a power outage. The man had to put on the generator stationed at the verandah close to the bedroom,” a  source explained.

“The celebration continued into the night before they all slept off and didn’t remember to switch off the generator. The next morning, a friend who was supposed to join them in the celebration but couldn’t meet up, went to the deceased house only to discover that the doors were locked with the generator still on.

“After knocking for sometime without response, he alerted other neighbours who forced the door open and saw the lifeless bodies, it was only the four-day-old baby that survived.

“The wife and one of the daughters were still unconscious when they were rushed to the hospital, but efforts to resuscitate them, including placing them on oxygen, failed, and they were pronounced dead.”

See more photos below;