The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fire guts

  • Fire guts Saraki’s Abuja residence

    Fire guts Saraki’s Abuja residence

    Part of the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s private residence in Maitama, Abuja was yesterday destroyed by fire.

    Part of the sprawling residence, located at 48 Lake Chad Crescent, witnesses said, was completely damaged.

    Findings showed that the fire incident, which took place in the early hours of yesterday, began from the gymnasium located within the compound.

    Saraki was said to have been informed about the fire incident while he was receiving a delegation led by the Emir of Kano, Lamido Muhammad Sanusi, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

    It was learnt that operatives of the Nigeria Fire Service were quickly called to the house and the fire was immediately put under control.

    No casualty was recorded, it was learnt.

  • One killed as fire guts 68 rooms in Ebonyi

    A 20-year-old girl, Miss Mercy Elom, was yesterday burnt to death as a mysterious fire gutted 68 rooms in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

    She was among the candidates, who wrote this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The deceased was an ICT apprentice at Pastoral Centre, a foremost ICT centre in the town.

    The fire, which started about 1am, occurred at 40, Igwe Liga Street, Mile 50, Abakaliki. The house has over 100 rooms.

    Miss Elom, who hailed from Onuenyim Agbaja in Izzi Local Government, squatted with her friend, who had travelled.

    Items worth millions of naira were destroyed. They included motorcycles, tricycles, documents, refrigerators and other electrical appliances.

    One of the victims, whose father is the owner of the house, Elias Igwe, said he was sleeping when noise from residents about the inferno woke him up.

    He said: “People were shouting fire, fire. This woke me up. I came downstairs and saw everywhere engulfed by fire. We tried to put it out, but we were helpless because it overpowered us. I contacted the state fire service with the help of the Divisional Police Officer, Kpirikpiri, but the bad road leading to our house affected their movement. Before they arrived, the fire had gutted about 50 rooms.”

    While some of the tenants salvaged a few of their property, others were not so lucky, especially the health workers and security officers, who were on night duty.

    One of the tenants, Mr. Aleke Celestine, lamented the loss of his vital documents. He appealed to the government to assist them.

  • Fire guts Owerri main market

    TRADERS at the popular Owerri Shopping Plaza at Ekeukwu Main Market in Owerri, the Imo State capital were all tears yesterday, following a midnight fire that gutted their shops. The fire, which started around 7.30pm, destroyed goods estimated at over N10m. Among the items destroyed by the fire are Laptops, wrappers, cosmetics, stationeries and mobile phones among others. According to an eyewitness accounts, the fire started after a loud explosion, suspected to have come from wrong electrical connection. Eyewitnesses’ accounts say that the efforts of the fire fighters who responded to the call to put out the fire were hampered by the police team who shot sporadically into the air to deter hoodlums from looting the shops. Assistant Chief of the Fire Service, Mr. Oliver Odenobi , said his men were already battling the inferno when the tear gas was shot in the air. He said that the quick response by the men of the Fire Service was as result of the distress calls from concerned Nigerians. He urged the public to always inform them on time whenever there is a fire outbreak, noting that men of the fire service are not magicians and cannot know about a fire emergency unless they are informed on time. When contacted, the Imo State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mr. Andrew Enwerem, confirmed the incident, adding that police officers at the scene assisted in stopping the fire. He said that investigation was on to unravel the course of the fire, and appealed to members of the public to volunteer information that could assist the Police.

  • Over N1m lost as fire guts petrol station

    Property worth over N1 million went up in flames at the weekend, following a fire at Easy On Filling Station on Umuwaya Road, Umuahia, Abia State.

    A witness said the fire started about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when an explosion occurred from an underground tank when a tanker carrying DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene) was discharging its contents.

    The witness said the tanker caught fire, causing people, who queued with kegs to buy kerosene, to flee.

    He said: “Immediately the explosion occurred, the tanker caught fire. People buying fuel drove off, including motorcyclists and tricycle operators.

    “Good Samaritans put out the fire, using fire extinguishers. Some used water. Sympathisers and fire servicemen prevented the situation from degenerating.”

    Two fuel dispensing pumps and the tanker were damaged. Miscreants looted items and the day’s sales.

    The station manager could not be reached, as he was reportedly indisposed.

    Abia Fire Service Chief Mr. Victor Gbaruko could also not be reached.

  • Fire guts Coscharis’ warehouse

    AN early morning fire has destroyed goods at the Apapa, Lagos warehouse of Coscharis Group of Companies. Gone in yesterday’s fire were petroleum products and various goods worth millions of naira. No life was lost.

    Workers and sympathisers joined Fire Service men and Julius Berger officials to battle the fire. None of the workers could ascertain the cause of the fire.

    Policemen led by Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Hakeem Odumosu were on hand to ensure safety of lives and property.

    The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, said at 6.57 pm yesterday that the fire had been contained, but not yet completely put out “because of the contents of the warehouse.”

    Fadipe said the fire reportedly began around 4 am, but they were alerted at about 6.12am. He said his men got there with 10,000 water-capacity trucks and specialised fire trucks containing chemicals with cannons from the Secretariat, Alausa,Ikeja.

    He said: “The fire was serious because the goods stored in the warehouse were mainly lubricants and other petroleum products. With the support of volunteers, we put it under control.”

    Fadipe warned residents against storing inflammable items. He also recommended fire-fighting equipment for homes and organisations in preparation for such incidents.

    “They must have fire hydrants, fire-detection equipment and fire protection systems,” he said.

  • Fire guts National Population Commission’s Lagos office

    The Lagos State Fire Services Department yesterday announced that there was a fire outbreak at the National Population Commission (NPC’s), Lagos Office on Babs Animashaun Street, Surulere.

    The Director of the establishment in the state, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, confirmed the incident.

    Fadipe said the fire engulfed a building housing Ballot Boxes belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at about 3.15 p.m.

    He explained that fire fighters and fire engines from Fire Service Departments in Isolo, Ilupeju and Sari-Iganmu, battled to contain the inferno.

    “The spill-over from the fire affected a nearby building, but the fire-fighters were able to bring the situation under control shortly after their arrival.

    “Our men also battled to bring the fire in the building housing the ballot boxes under control,’’ he said.

    Fadipe, however, added that there was no causality as at the time of filing the report. (NAN)

  • One killed as fire guts monarch’s palace

    One person was feared dead and two buildings, including the palace of Olu of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, were burnt yesterday when hoodlums invaded the town.

    Armed with dangerous weapons, the suspects destroyed the palace of the monarch, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and the house of a chief.

    Sources said the attack was a reprisal by the hoodlums who had come to avenge the death of a colleague.

    Two of the hoodlums were arrested and taken to the palace where they were handed over to the police.

    Oba Odidiomo, who alleged that a traditional ruler within the area, Oba Lawrence Omowole, the Amapetu of Mahin kingdom was behind the attack, traced the attack to a few months before his installation when the Amapetu allegedly installed two persons within Igbokoda as Baale and Oloja.

    The monarch said he opposed the development since the two chiefs lived within his domain, but the Amapetu allegedly ordered some boys known as ‘Mahin Task Force” to provide security for the two chiefs, adding: “I reported the development to Olugbo of Igboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan who promised to wade into the matter.”

    The monarch said two hoodlums apprehended last week by his subjects were handed over to the police, adding: “The following morning, I was told a corpse was found in the river and was identified as one of the Mahin boys and these boys went on the rampage, destroying the palace and some houses belonging to some of my chiefs”

    All efforts to speak with Amapetu failed, but a chief, Chief Mesagan, the Oloja of Abereke described the Olu of Igbokoda as “a drowning man who is begging for attention.”

    The chief said Oba Omowole of Mahin kingdom installed Odidiomo as the monarch of Igbokoda and would not be a party to destroying the house he built.

    He, asked Odidiomo make peace with his people rather than pointing fingers at the Amapetu.

    He said the body found in the river ignited the attack, adding that it was not from outside.

    But Odidiomo insisted that the plot was hatched outside Igbokoda, saying: “This is part of the sustained activities to rubbish me. Last November, they shot at me right in my bedroom. In December, when I accompanied some government officials to inspect our market, they attacked us. Now, they have burnt my palace.”

    “I want the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to order investigation into this. We had a clear case of rape, murder and then arson and as a lawyer, I am aware these are grave offences.” Ondo State Police spokesman, Wole Ogodo said about eight people had been arrested over the crisis.

    Normalcy, he said, had returned to the land.

  • Fire guts part of Amosun’s home

    A part of Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s home at Ibara Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Abeokuta, the state capital, was gutted by fire yesterday afternoon.

    It was learnt that the fire was caused by a power surge in the bedroom of Amosun’s elder brother’s wife.

    The room and valuables, including clothes, shoes and electrical appliances, were destroyed.

    The prompt intervention of the State Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building.

    The fire fighters put the blaze off within a few minutes.

    Amosun’s elder brother, Abidoye, thanked the firemen for their prompt intervention.

    He said: “Only a room was affected by the fire. Fire fighters arrived on time and put out the fire. We thank God that no life was lost.”

    Security officers guarding the house assaulted three journalists, who took pictures of the house in flames.

    Those assaulted are Miss Tomisin Erogbogbo of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); a cameraman with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Abeokuta and Mr. Razaq Ayinla of BusinessDay.

    The over-zealous aides destroyed the NTA man’s camera. They seized Miss Erogbogbo’s camera and Ayinla’s camera phone.

    When they returned Miss Erogbogbo’s camera, pictures of the fire had been deleted.

  • Fire guts 50 shops in Ibadan market

    Fire guts 50 shops in Ibadan market

    Over 50 shops have been razed at the building materials section of the Ogunpa Market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The fire, which started around 7:30 pm on Wednesday, raged for hours.

    Sources said the fire was caused by an explosion in one of the shops.

    Though the fire was contained by fire-fighters on Wednesday night, it was completely put out yesterday afternoon.

    Commissioner for Environment Lowo Obisesan conveyed Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s sympathy message to the victims.

    Obisesan’s aide, Mr. Muyiwa Olaore, who represented him, said the government has banned trading in the burnt area until renovation it is renovated.

    He said the burnt building could collapse anytime.

    The victims cried uncontrollably and lamented their losses.

    Mr. Ibrahim Iyiola said he lost about N2 million in the fire.

    He said: “We closed around 6pm. A friend phoned me around some minutes to 8pm and said the market was on fire. By the time I got here about an hour later, it was too late to save anything. The fire caught the ceiling and burnt my wares. I could not save anything.”

    Due to the clustered nature of the shops and the flammable items sold there, the area has witnessed several fire incidents.

    Another section of the market was burnt three weeks.

    Some of the victims alleged that the fire-fighters were late to the scene and did not come with enough water.

    The commissioner called for understanding on the ongoing demolition of illegal structures, adding that it would correct some of the environmental challenges.