A middle-aged man described as a dependable and dedicated church usher has died in a midnight fire that engulfed a residential building at No. 14 Benso Street, off Okhoro Road in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The victim, identified as Mr. Etebet Oyemara, was indoors with his wife and other occupants when the blaze broke out, reportedly giving them little time to escape. Mr. Oyemara, who was also the head of the electrical unit at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in the Okhoro area, was said to have been caught in the inferno while attempting to salvage property from the raging fire. His wife, Mrs. Oyemara, sustained severe burns and is currently receiving treatment at the emergency department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin. The tragic incident has thrown both the Holy Spirit Catholic Church and the wider Okhoro community into mourning.