The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fire

  • N15m gone as fire razes Ebonyi mechanic village

    An early morning fire has destroyed eight cars and motor spare parts estimated at over N15 million at the Mechanic Village in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

    It was gathered that the fire, which started at 1 a.m, would have spread to other parts of the village but for the quick intervention of the fire service.

    The scene was covered with smoke yesterday, when our reporter visited the village.

    There was smoke from cars, tyres and spare parts in some workshops.

    The owners and sympathisers stood in clusters,

    watching helplessly.

    One of the victims, Mr. Sunday Nworie, was in tears.

    The trader said the fire started from a nearby workshop where apprentices might have forgotten to put out burning firewood for refurbishing car shock absorbers.

    But the owner of the workshop, Mr. Livinus Nwadume, denied the allegation.

    The artisan said he did not use such materials.

    He described the incident as unfortunate. Nwadume said he lost tyres and other spare parts estimated at several thousands of naira.

    The owner of a workshop where five cars were destroyed Mr. George Brother said he had informed the owners about the damage.

    He urged the government to expand the mechanic village to enable those selling car parts have enough space from those making fire-related businesses.

    The Chairman of the village Mr. Erasmus Nwaojiji said his management committee had done all it could to enforce the decongestion and removal of inflammable materials but to no avail.

    He hailed the state fire service for its prompt response.

    The chairman sought government’s help to the victims to enable them start life again.

  • Fire razes petrol station, 24 shops

    It was a tragic Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as a petrol station and about 24 shops were razed by fire, which raged for about three hours.

    According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out at 4.40pm from the filling station owned by Strive Energy Limited and extended to the shops, which included cold room, boutiques, pharmacy, other business offices and vehicles at Ijigbo.

    The fire broke after a tanker discharging fuel spilled its contents.

    They said smoke emitted from the tanker for almost 20 minutes but the place was engulfed in flames when a driver, who queued to buy fuel, suddenly switched on his car engine.

    The fire claimed three pumps in the station before it extended to other buildings on both sides of the road.

    Nothing could be salvaged as most of the shops were locked.

    Firemen battled to put out the fire.

    Vehicles belonging to the police and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) blocked the dual carriage way to prevent moving vehicles from catching fire.

    The blockade of the highway caused a traffic snarl which extended from Old Garage, Ijigbo to Ajilosun and Ikere Road.

    Hoodlums cashed in on the incident to loot many shops while pretending to help in salvaging the goods.

    Some of the shop owners, who visited the scene of the incident, wailed uncontrollably.

    Governor Ayo Fayose made a brief appearance at the scene to assess the level of havoc.

    At 6.44 pm, the men of the state security outfit code-named Operation Flush fired canisters of teargas to disperse the crowd to prevent further looting.

    Traffic was later restored at 7.12 pm, when the police vehicles left the scene.

     

  • Fabric store owner disposes wares after fire incident

    Fabric store owner disposes wares after fire incident

    Eyewitnesses, petty traders and passersby struggled to quench a fire that razed a mega fabric store, Brasas Fabric at the popular Balogun market in Lagos Island.

    The store sitting on the third floor of Brasas Plaza, 43 Martins Street, Lagos Island was gutted by fire around 9am, destroying expensive clothing materials such as bridal clothing, sample laces, brocade, Jacquard lace, metallic lace etc.

    The cause of the fire could not be ascertained.

    The store owner later ordered that the remnants and partially affected ones be disposed off. This led to a serious tussle among the people as they began to fight one another in the bid to get hold of the materials.

    According to the Director, Lagos Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, it took the effort of four fire trucks deployed from Ilupeju, Isolo and two from Alausa headquarters to quell the fire from spreading.

    He said the fire was further strengthened by close stockpiling of flammable materials.

    He urged traders against blocking ventilation cannels in their environment to avoid disasters.

    He said: “Around 10:49am, the distress call came in to the state fire service that there was an outbreak of fire on the island closes the Nigerian Insurance House that went in flames in 2014. I quickly dispatched the fire truck from Sari Iganmu and on arrival, we discovered that the fire was serious and we won’t be able to dampen it quickly.  The fire trucks were strategically positioned at the rear of the building and front for the fire fighting operation. The building is about 5-storey but our prompt response prevented the fire from spreading to other floors. We are always careful anytime there is fire on the Island. You can physically see that the space between these buildings is very narrow that it can only occupy a pipe. So, if there is an outbreak of fire on the island, it spreads rapidly and it’s the reason we don’t joke with it at all. The first thing we did was to make sure that there was an opening for people to come out of the building because there are a lot of structures in the building and people didn’t know there was an outbreak of fire.”

    On preventive measures, he said: “There is no small fire. Any fire outbreak will be followed by a sort of destruction, so we advise that when they are stockpiling, they should leave spaces. Secondly it is important for them to open door for fire service inspection for their own safety.”

  • Fire razes 48 shops in Gombe market

    Fire razes 48 shops in Gombe market

    Forty-eight shops and property worth millions of naira were yesterday burnt at Gombe old Market.
    Chairman of the market, Malam Mohammad Abba, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the incident occurred in the night.
    He said about 300 traders lost their goods in the inferno.
    Abba advised them to take it as an act of God and be careful in handling electricity.
    The chairman called on the government to aid the victims.
    Some victims said they suspected the fire was caused by electrical fault.
    They, however, lauded men of the Fire Service and security agents for their response.
    The traders appealed to the government and individuals to assist them.

  • Fire Service saves five-year-old from drowning

    The Lagos State Fire Service has rescued a five-year-old girl, Faith Onifade from an 80 feet deep well, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, confirmed this incident to NAN on Tuesday.

    According to him, the incident happened on Boxing Day about 5.30 p.m. at No. 1, Church Street, Omiata Bus Stop, Agbeleke, Meran in Ifako-Ijaiye Council Area of the state.

    “On Monday, the Boxing Day, we rescued a five-year-old female child, Faith Onifade, who fell into a deep well of about 80 feet deep; she was rescued alive with no serious injuries,” Fadipe said.

    The Fire Service official advised parents to always monitor their children, especially those who reside near open wells.

    He also urged the public to immediately alert the service of any emergencies. (NAN)

  • Fire guts Akwa Ibom Works Commissioner’s house

    Fire guts Akwa Ibom Works Commissioner’s house

    The house of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang was on Sunday gutted by fire.

    Although no life was lost to the fire incident, The Nation learnt that property worth millions of Naira were destroyed in the building.

    The house is located at L Line, close to De Silva Hotel in Uyo, the state capital.

    The fire incident which occurred around 7pm on Christmas day destroyed a particular section of the house.

    It was gathered that the Fire Service men battled the inferno though they were contacted late as there was no occupant in the compound during sad incident.

    Sources say they fire incident may have been caused by an electrical equipment which might have been switched on.

    The rented building is owned by an Akwa Ibom – Port Harcourt based business man.

  • Policemen on guard at NBL’s burnt Lagos premises

    The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, has redeployed about 100 policemen to the premises of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Iganmu, Lagos where an early morning fire razed a part of the company’s premises on Sunday.

    Owoseni told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deployment was meant to give adequate security cover to the company.

    The Police Commissioner explained that the policemen were deployed to hold back some miscreants who wanted to take advantage of the situation to enter into the company’s premises.

    “There is a fire incidence at the Nigerian Breweries but the fire did not affect the operational areas of the company.

    “It affected only the isolated areas where the company keeps empty bottles and cartons, as well as expired drinks,’’ Owoseni said.

    Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc Kufre Ekanem in a statement confirmed that there was a fire outbreak at the empty bottle compound of the company’s plant.

    ” The fire which started early in the morning has been put under control by men of the Lagos State Fire Service supported by the Brewery fire team and other nearby corporate organisations.

    ” There were no injuries or fatalities arising from the fire. Only empty bottles, plastic crates and some sections of the bottle holding bay were impacted by the fire. Brewery operations were not disrupted by the incidence,” Ekanem stated.

    Mr Razak Fadipe, Director, Lagos State Fire Service, told NAN that the fire started at about 5.30 a.m.

    He explained that the Lagos State Fire Service immediately mobilised five fire engines to the company premises, with support from Julius Berger, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the United Bank for Africa and Union Bank.

    “As we speak, we are still battling the fire to contain its spread. We have been able to do that though. I can confirm that nobody is injured in the incident and that there is no loss of life.

    Meanwhile, a section of the company’s fence bordering the Iganmu Interchange collapsed during the incident.

    NAN reports that hundreds of miscreants invaded the area but police personnel from the Area ‘C’ Command, Surulere and nearby formations were able to contain the situation.(NAN)

    The actual cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained as at the time of this report. (NAN)

  • Ibadan Market inferno consumes property worth over N10m

    An early morning fire outbreak on Sunday razed some parts of Araromi Market at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, where used tyres and motor parts worth over N10 million were destroyed.

    Mr Abdul Azeez Ojo, Chairman of the market, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the inferno began at about 5.30 a.m.

    According to him, the Fire Service was alerted and they responded promptly.

    Ojo, however, said a sizeable number of shops equipped with tyres and other goods were razed before the arrival of the fire fighters at about 6 a.m.

    “The Fire Service were able to put out the fire to avert more destruction, nevertheless, shop owners still suffered losses worth over N10 million.

    “The most pathetic thing is that these burnt shops were owned by young traders who have just started business and we appealed to the state government to assist them,’’ he said.

    Two victims of the incident, Hassan Olanrewaju and Michael Ajayi, whose shops were razed lamented the ugly incident.

    They pleaded with the state government and other well-meaning Nigerians to assist them financially to enable them go back to business.

    Mr Adeleke Isiaka, the Fire Service team commander, said his team arrived at the scene promptly when they received the call, adding the response time was impressive.

    Isiaka said his team was able to put out the fire on time due to the cooperation received from the traders and sympathisers.

    “The cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, but it is possible that careless handling of cigarette butts may be responsible.

    “I am saying this because there was no electricity light, nor any sign of cooking in the market at the time of the incident,’’ Isiaka said.

    NAN further reports that men of the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were on ground to prevent looting of shops by people with such motive.

    Mr Moshhod Adeyemo, the team leader of the NSCDC told NAN that his men arrived at the scene at exactly 6 a.m. to secure the area.

    He said the operation was quite successful, saying no life was lost. (NAN)

  • NPS promotes over 10, 979 officers, men

    The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) has approved the promotion of 4,075 qualified officers and men of the Nigerian Prisons Service, (NPS) on Consolidated Paramilitary Salary Structure (CONPASS) 08 to 15.

    These include officers on lateral conversion from inspectorate cadre to officer’s cadre due to acquisition of additional qualifications.

    Similarly, the Controller-General of NPS, Ja’afaru Ahmed in a letter signed by the Assistant Controller-General of Prisons, Mr. Othman Musa, approved the promotion of 6,904 other ranks including those elevated from Prisons Assistant cadre to the inspectorate cadre.

    A statament issued yesterday in Abuja by the NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore, the breakdown of rank categories affected in the promotion exercise includes: ” Senior officers – 609
    * Principal Inspectors of Prisons (PIP) to Chief Inspectors of Prisons  (CIP)  – 352
    *  Inspectors of Prisons  (IP) to Senior Inspectors (SIP) – 2,435
    *  Lateral Conversion from inspectorate to officers ‘ cadre – 133
    *  Up – grading (Inspector to Assistant Superintendent) – 546
    *  Assistant Inspector of Prisons ( AIP) to Inspectors of Prisons  (IP) – 1,039
    *  Prisons Assistant Cadre to Inspectors Cadre (acquisition of additional qualifications) – 120
    *  Senior Prisons Assistant (SPA) to Chief Prisons Assistant (CPA) – 1,812
    *  Prisons Assistant 1 (PA1) to Senior Prisons Assistant  (SPA) – 1,548
    * Prisons Assistant 11 (PA11) to Prisons Assistant  (PA1) – 2,195
    * Prisons Assistant 111 (PA111) to Prisons Assistant 11 (PA11) – 190.”

    The Prisons boss while congratulating the successful officers, enjoined them to justify the confidence reposed in them as not only worthy of the promotion but capable of handling the responsibilities associated with the new ranks.

     

  • Two killed as fire razes 10 houses in Ijora

    Two killed as fire razes 10 houses in Ijora

    Two boys were burnt to death on Saturday night when fire razed 10 houses in Ijora Badia, Lagos.

    The fire started around 10pm  from a woman’s room on Opeloyeru Street, Ijora Badia.

    The woman, it was learnt, was cooking in her room .

    The boys, one of whom is her four-year-old son and her friend’s two-year-old boy, were said to be sleeping

    The woman was said to have stepped out to receive a call but the fire had consumed her apartment and another before returning.

    It was gathered that the fire razed 10 houses which were all built with wooden planks.

    When The Nation visited the scene around 6am, all houses were in ashes.

    A community leader Mr Isreal Olayinka blamed the woman’s carelessness for the incident.

    Olayinka said: “It was saddening. The fire shocked us because it was late in the night when many people were already in bed. It started around 10pm from the room of one woman with two children. She was cooking in her room while the two children were sleeping. But she step out of the room to receive a call, on her way back the fire had consumed the room with the two children burnt alive.

    “The fire overpowered us because the houses were built with wood. All the 10 houses burnt to ashes and over 200 people were rendered homeless.

    “Carelessness is the cause of the fire. People must be very careful as we are also approaching dry season.

    “We appeal to government to assist the victims. We made effort to call the fire service but they came late around 2am.”

    A victim, Adijat, a trader and mother of two, said the fire will bring hardship upon her as she has no family.

    “I was sleeping when I heard people shouting, I quickly rushed out of my room. It was like a movie, I thought people were acting film. At a point, I lost my memory and was dump for about five minutes. I could not sleep after the incident; It was yesterday that I know that night is longer that day.

    “I just bought new goods for my shop and I collected thrift of N40,000 which were destroyed by the fire . My heart is broken to pieces, I am a young lady with two children, I will suffer because I don’t know where to start,” she said.

    Mr Abdulllahi Abubakar, a tailor said he lost all his properties to the fire.

    He said: “Around 9:30pm, I heard people shouting and weeping. The fire destroy my shop and house, I have lost everything. What a disaster! The fire burnt all my property. I am left with the cloth on me. God knows why it happened to us and I cannot question him, I see it as supremacy of God over man. I struggle to spear my life.”

    Mr Toyin Aruna, a driver and father of six children lamented that he would lose his dignity as a man as he has lost means to cater for his family.

    “I lost everything I had. I will have to start all over again. Life is not fair with us. I have been weeping like a baby because I have lost my dignity as a man, I can’t cater for my family anymore,” Aruna said.