An Onitsha trader, his wife, two children, mother in-law and newly arrived apprentice have been reported dead after inhaling poisonous fumes from the generator powered the first night they slept in their new mansion.
Sympathisers who wailed uncontrollably yesterday at Borromeo hospital, Onitsha where the bodies were rushed to said the man, Identified as Ifeanyi from Enugu state , a trader at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market, had planned a surprise package for his wife after her discharge from the hospital having been delivered of a new baby by deciding that they would park into his new mansion at Nkwele Ezunaka to celebrate the new born and new house together .
Following a blackout from the public power source, he put on the generator stationed at the veranda close to the bedroom to provide light in the new house that night.
They were said to have chatted heartily as they made merry into the night before they slept off without putting off the generator.
The next morning, a friend of his who was supposed to join them in the celebration but could not make it went to felicitate with them only to discover that the doors were locked but the generation was still buzzing.
After knocking continuously without response, he alerted other neighbours and they forced the door open and saw the lifeless bodies.
On rushing them to the hospital, the wife and one of the daughters were still semi-conscious but later on died after all resuscitation efforts including fixing them on oxygen failed.
Only the four-day old baby survived without any crisis thereby raising more curiosity on the circumstances of their death.
Chairman of Onitsha Bridgehead drug market, Ndubuisi Chukwuneta who confirmed the sad development described the deceased Ifeanyi as a hardworking young man who desired the best for his family.
Manager of St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onistha, Rev. Fr. Izunna Okonkwo confirmed that only the new born baby was in stable condition when they reached the hospital as four had already died before getting to the facility.