About 13 vehicles were on Friday morning burnt while many persons razed to death in a fire resulting from a tanker explosion in front of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
The fuel laden tanker was said to have exploded after a collision with a truck and a commercial bus.
Men of the Edo State Fire Service were said to have arrived the scene to out the fire.
Sources said the fire started at about 5:30am and was still burning as at press time.
More details later…..
A total of 25 shops at the popular New Benin Market in Benin City were on Sunday night razed by fire whose cause is yet to be ascertained.
Goods and property worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno even as thieves who posed as sympathizers made away with some goods.
It was gathered that the fire started at about 7:25pm and lasted for about two hours before men of the Edo Fire Service stopped it from spreading to other shops.
Witnesses said the fire began from a shop where food items such as rice, beans and beverages are sold.
Many of the affected traders were called from their various residences that their shops were on fire.
One of the traders was said to have collapsed when he saw that his shop and the N2m cash he kept inside from previous sales were consumed by the fire.
Another victim who simply gave his name as Samuel Ijezie said he lost his entire wares to the evil fire.
“I was somewhere close to the market to buy something. I saw people gathering around here; I don’t come to market on Sunday but because of the gathering I rushed to the area to see what was happening only to see it was fire but before I could come down fire had taken over everywhere. I didn’t save anything; millions of naira wasted here. I lost more than two million to the fire; I did not bring anything out. The fire was everywhere even my generator I did not bring out anything.”
Mr. Chukwudi Anisieke said his warehouse was stockpiled with assorted goods worth N7m on Saturday night.
He disclosed that he had returned from market on Saturday and stocked his shop with goods at about 8pm same day.
“The entire thing got me tired. I am totally confused. I was at home yesterday evening when people called me on phone that New Benin market was burning. Before I reached here everywhere had caught fire and I could not pick out a single thing from my shop. I lost more than N7million to the fire,” he said.
• NCRIB collaborates with LCCI, NGBA
The insurance industry through insurance brokers paid the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) a claim of N30 million after a fire incident consumed one its apartments, Director -General, LCCI, Muda Yusuf has said.
He spoke while receiving the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) delegation at the chambers in Lagos.
He said that he appreciated the value of insurance coverage when the fire incident occurred.
Muda, who urged the industry to upscale rate of awareness campaign especially, among the low level income earners, stated that the rate of awareness is still very low in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the NCRIB said the council has begun discussions with the LCCI and Nigerian-German Business Association (NGBA) on the possibilities of leveraging on the membership of both institutions to further deepen insurance penetration in Nigeria.
Executive Secretary, NCRIB, Fatai Adegbenro who led NCRIB delegations to LCCI office, said that the council is poised to assist chamber’s members to remain in business through risk management.
He maintained that the proposed partnership will encourage members of the two bodies to have insurance cover especially for their businesses against any peril, and other forms of unforeseen events capable of threatening further existence of their trade.
Bearing in mind the challenging business environment where members of the chamber operate, he noted that insurance remains the best instrument to mitigate any loss to business.
He stressed the need to patronise only registered insurance brokers under the aegis of NCRIB.
Adegbenro, who also led the council’s delegation on a courtesy visit to Nigerian-German Business Association, highlighted the benefits of engaging insurance brokers as a go between for insurance transaction.
He noted that finding the right level of insurance cover can be a time-consuming and expensive task for members of the association, hence, the need to engage.
He pointed out that using a broker does not cost more as Brokers are paid a commission by the insurance provider for selling their products.
Reacting to the council, Yusuf said that public enlightenment and sensitisations on the need for insurance and the use of insurance brokers should be the first step on collaboration.
He, however, pledged the commitment of the Chamber to collaborate with the council especially on the need to raise the level of insurance awareness, further urged the council to fish out unregistered insurance brokers practising unethically.
The Aviation Fuel station attached to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Wednesday witnessed a fire outbreak resulting in the injury of two technicians.
According to eyewitness account who confided with The Nation on condition of anonymity, said that the fire incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. as they noticed thick smoke emanating from the fuel station.
“We noticed thick flames billowing from the station. We quickly alerted the fire fighters at the airport who instantly rushed to the scene and battled the fire.”
However, it was gathered that two technicians at the station were injured in their attempt to put off the fire.
At the time of filling in this report, the fire has been successfully contained after 30 minutes battle by the airport fire fighters.
Several efforts made to contact the airport officials for comment over the incident proved abortive, while a security personnel at the airport who does not want his name on print confirmed the incident.
However, no serious damage was done.
Two separate storey buildings in Oredo Local Government Area were on Tuesday razed by fire.
One of the building located along Forestry road is a commercial building while the other located at Ehiozomwangie street is a residential building owned by a retired soldier, Elder Daniel Orobedo.
Both fire incidents were said to have occurred after electricity was restored.
Property worth millions of naira was destroyed in both incidents.
The building located at Forestry road had many business centres, a generator store and spare parts shops.
It was learnt that the fire started at about 6pm when the shops owners have closed for the day.
Efforts by men of the state fire service to put out the fire were unsuccessful as the fire had already engulfed the entire building.
An eyewitness, Chinedu Victor, said the fire was caused by an electric surge as power supply was interrupted when it broke out.
Victor said, “It was an electric surge. There was power supply then but it has been interrupted now. The fire service people came after 15 minutes.
“There were a lot of rooms there. The place is like a barracks. But everybody was rescued. Nobody was injured.”
A girl who claimed to be a daughter of the building, Sarah Etiben, said she saw the flames from afar but did not know that it was their house that was burning.
Etiben said “My workplace is not too far from here. I saw the flame and thought it was come from another place.
“I cannot really explain what happened. My mother and siblings lived in the building but I cannot find them now.”
Some of the shops owners who spoke said they were at a shock over the incident.
On his part, Elder Orobedo said all his credentials including his Nigeria Army certificate were burnt in the fire.
He said nothing was rescued from the building as the fire spread rapidly.
Twelve newborn babies are dead after a fire erupted at a Baghdad hospital on Wednesday, the Iraq’s Health Ministry said.
The ministry also reported 29 women and nine babies injured in the blaze.
The fire broke out in a corridor of the maternity ward of al-Yarmouk hospital, which lies in central Baghdad.
“Civil defence forces managed to extinguish the fire, evacuating the injured to nearby hospitals.
“Initial findings indicate the incident was caused by an electrical short circuit,’’ Iraqi Health Ministry spokesman Ahmmed al-Rudaini said.
At least eight people were killed on Thursday in a fire at an orphanage in the South African city of Durban, the local news agency, ANA, reported.
Many of those killed were children with the youngest being eight years old, a spokesman for the emergency services was quoted as saying.
It was not immediately known if other people were injured or what caused the fire.
The Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe was Friday morning engulfed by fire from an unknown source and lasted for about two hours.
The Chief Medial Director of the hospital, Dr. Abubakar Saidu said the fire started some minutes past 06:00 hours and was finally certified fully quenched by men of the State Fire Service at about 8:00 am,
consuming the staff lounge and some offices.
“We woke up this morning and discover there was fire in the old administrative block, specifically from one of the lounges.
“It was detected by the security men who raised alarm and started using fire extinguishers to try to put out the fire.
“They were able to contain the fire that was burning the curtains and the furniture but unfortunately by that time, the fire had gone into the ceiling and then spread to two offices of our senior nurses.
“While they were struggling to put out the fire, the Fire Service also joined; our tankers too were there, supplying water to the fire service.
“Fortunately, apart from the staff lounge and the two offices, the fire did not spread any further and thank God there was no injury, talk less of death was recorded,” he explained.
During a visit at about 10:00 am, the CMD said everybody was back to their duty posts except that the General Out Patient Department was shot temporarily because of its closeness to the affected area.
He suspected that the fire was caused by electricity fault because there is no open fire source around the area but would not want to guess until he received the report from the fire service.
He commended the fire service for their timely response to the distressed call and the staff of the hospital for their courage.
He said it would have helped tremendously if the hospital had its fire engine and fire drill which it had applied for severally, without gaining approval from the concerned authorities.
He nevertheless added that the presence of professional fire fighters could not have been ruled out though because one could never tell how big the fire could become.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is to set up a panel of enquiry to probe the fire that claimed the life of Alhaji Kaka Kyari Abba Kaza, former auditor-general of Borno State, on Wednesday at the institution’s guest house.
The Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol, Mr Toyin Adebule told The Nation Friday that the panel should be inaugurated next week.
“We plan to set up a panel to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire,” Adebule said.
The late Kyari was in the entourage of the Shehu of Borno, who was installed as the Chancellor of the university on Thursday during its 2014/2015 convocation.
However, he died of suffocation as a result of smoke inhalation from a fire suspected to have been caused by a power surge around 2am on Wednesday morning.
The fire affected four rooms, A12, A13, A14 and A15 at the guest house.
Adebule said that the university sent a condolence letter with the Chancellor’s entourage to Borno yesterday.
The Chancellor’s installation went as planned despite the death.
The deceased was buried on Thursday according to Islamic rights.