By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

A widow with six children, a TVC News Correspondent in Akwa Ibom State, Miriam Daniels and several other families have been rendered homeless after a midnight fire gutted their residence in Atabong community in Eket Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the fire incident which occured around 1:00 am on Wednesday was reportedly caused by a gas explosion triggered by a candle lit in one of the apartments.

An eyewitness who spoke to newsmen said the fire spread so fast, that in the midnight confusion, there was barely time for the occupant of the building to escape with their belongings.

According to one of the affected residents , the 15-room bungalow was completely razed down, leaving more than 7 families homeless, as nothing was salvaged in the inferno.

Newsmen even gathered that the area had been without electricity for over seven months due to a faulty transformer, forcing many occupants to resort to using Candle in the night.

They therefore appealed to the state government and governor Umo Eno to use his good heartedness to come to their aid as they have been rendered homeless and helpless.