No fewer than 17 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were killed and many wounded after a fire incident at the Ngala IDP Camp, in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.
The desk officer of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency in Ngala LGA, Mal. Yusuf Gulumbo, said on Facebook that assessment was still ongoing.
While he did not disclose the source of the fire, he said the incident also left seven IDPs critically injured and eight with minor injuries.
A rescue worker who participated in the evacuation told our correspondent that a total of 17 dead bodies were counted and evacuated from the scenes of the fire at about 5:30 pm when the fire was finally put off.
“The fire outbreak started at around 2:15 pm, we tried our best to put it off but unfortunately, it escalated for hours; we evacuated 17 dead bodies, and some burnt beyond recognition.
“Although dozens of displaced persons are wounded, but only 11 people including 3 children have severe wounds. More than a thousand IDPs have become homeless as a result of the inferno, “the rescue worker said.
Sources said there was an urgent humanitarian crisis in Ngala at the moment as thousands of women and children were left with nothing after the fire outbreak.