By RismadarVoice Reporters
January 3, 2026
Residents of Mangu town in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have been plunged into deep mourning, following a late-night fire outbreak that claimed the lives of six siblings.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday around the Old Mangu Market area. A resident, Saidu Nasir, confirmed the development to Saturday PUNCH in Jos on Friday, describing the loss as devastating to the community.
“Six children eventually died from the fire incident. I know their father; he is a vulcaniser. The family is in deep mourning, we pray that God will comfort them,” Nasir said.
Family members disclosed that the deceased children were aged between four months and 12 years. An uncle of the victims, Umar Babangida said the fire broke out at about 2am, while the children were asleep.
According to him, the children’s mother sustained severe burns while making frantic efforts to rescue them, she is currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital in Mangu.
“The mother and her nine children were watching television until about 11pm. Later, the three male children went to sleep, leaving the mother with the six younger ones. When the fire started around 2am, she tried desperately to save them but could not,” Babangida explained.
He added that the cause of the fire could not be immediately determined, noting that there had been power supply in the area before the family retired for the night.
“We cannot categorically say what caused the fire. All we know is that around 2:30am, we received a distress call that the house was on fire,” he said.
Babangida also revealed that Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, alongside the Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area, visited the bereaved family to commiserate with them.
He said the Governor urged the family to take solace despite the painful loss, promised government support to assist in rebuilding the destroyed house.
“We are grateful to everyone who came to our rescue. During the incident, we saw love and unity, as both Muslims and Christians came out in large numbers to help,” he added.
The incident has left the Mangu community in shock, with residents calling for greater awareness and preventive measures against fire outbreaks, especially in residential areas.
