The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fire

  • Fire razes forty shops in Ikom market

    At least forty shops worth millions of naira have been razed by fire at the Ikom main market in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State.

    Eye witnesses said, the inferno which started at about 2am on Tuesday was due to a power surge from the public power supply and could not be contained in spite of frantic efforts by shop owners to put it out.

    It was gathered that the state fire service station in Ikom, which was contacted for intervention could not act due to complaints of lack of facilities to combat the fire.

    The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. John Inaku who visited the scene for a rapid assessment, expressed shock at the level of destruction.

    Inaku said efforts would be made by the state government to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.

    According to him the burnt shops required total rehabilitation and urged the victims to remain calm.

    One of the victims, Mr. Augustine Chinedu who said he lost virtually all his goods worth millions of naira said it was devastating and urged government to urgently come to his aid.

    Miss Agbor Okey, a fashion designer said the incident has put her and the family in a difficult position as her shop was their only source of livelihood.

    The chairman of the Ikom Main Market Traders Union, Mr. Caleb Agwu called on government agencies, non-governmental organiations and philanthropic individuals and organizations to help in cushioning the effect of the disaster.

     

  • Midnight fire destroys Sabon Gari market in Kano

    A mid-night fire has for the second time gutted the popular Sabon Gari market in Kano, destroying property worth millions of Naira.

    Eye witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Saturday that the fire which started around 12:30am, destroyed several shops in the market.

    According to the witness, the fire had also razed the footwear section of the market.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as at the time of filing this report, men of the state Fire Service were still battling to control the inferno.

    When contacted, the Director of the state Fire Service, Alhaji Mustapha Rulwan confirmed the incident.

    He said the fire started at about 1am and had destroyed several shops in the market.

    According to him, the fire started at the footwear section of the market.

    “Our men are still trying to put out the fire as I am talking to you now we are in the market,” he said.

    NAN reports that this is the second time in five months that the Sabon Gari market was gutted by fire.

  • Fire razes Mammy market in Navy Town

    Fire razes Mammy market in Navy Town

    FIRE yesterday razed the Mammy market in Navy Town in Ojo, Lagos, destroying 160 lock up shops and property worth millions of naira.

    The foodstuff and electronics sections were badly hit.

    A trader said: “This is the heart of the market. It is painful and very unfortunate for us. All our generators, money went just like that.”

    Eyewitnesses said the cause of the fire, which started around 3am, was not known.

    Lagos State Fire Service and Naval officials quenched the fire around 10.16am.

    Director State Fire Service Razaq Fadipe said the number of shops destroyed was high because they were built with the corrugated iron-sheets and wood.

    “We got the call and responded around 5.24am. The cause must have been electrical upsurge which is as a result of negligence by traders. It is possible someone forgot to put off the electrical appliance in his/her shop after Monday’s close of business.”

  • Three injured as fire razes Niger Biscuit Company

    Three injured as fire razes Niger Biscuit Company

    Three persons were burnt yesterday when fire razed Niger Biscuits Company on Creek Road in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.

    Two Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) within the premises were destroyed.

    It was learnt that the fire was sparked by gas explosion in the factory few minutes after 2pm.

    A factory worker, who gave his name as Chukwudi, said the injured were rushed to hospital by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials.

    One of the victims was a security officer deployed in the company few weeks ago. He was said to trying to put out the fire. In fact, only God can save him,” said an eyewitness.

    The eyewitness said the explosion occurred after the maintenance department completed its Sunday-maintenance-Service, in preparation for full scale production today.

    He said:”Immediately after the gas exploded, the security officials and my other colleagues raced to get the fire extinguishers, in order to put out the fire before it escalated. But their effort proved abortive; as they exhausted all the extinguishers without quenching the fire.”

    The workers raised the alarm when they could not put out the fire.

    Sources said the affected section was stocked with paper materials and other inflammable materials, which made it difficult to fight the fire.

    The fire was still raging at press time last night. Officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service, NNS Beecroft, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA Tin Can Island Port, UBA Fire Service, Julius Berger PLC Fire Service were sighted at the scene battling to put out the fire.

    Their tankers were seen racing to the Folawiyo Oil Depot to get more water.

    Residents said that the section most affected by the fire caved in few hours later.

    A resident, Peter Edwin, said: “The section of the company that collapsed on the second floor is the administrative department. And you know that there would be several inflammable materials in there.”

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service Mr. Rasak Fadipe said: “We are still battling with the fire. It is a serious fire outbreak which involved Niger Biscuit Company Limited.”

  • Fire damages Ikeja Electric transformer

    Fire damages Ikeja Electric transformer

    Fire yesterday damaged the 11KVA switch room transformer section of Ikeja Electric (IE) in Sabo, Ikorodu, Lagos.

    The incident will affect power supply in some areas, sources said.

    Officials on duty said the cause of the fire, which started around 3:40am, could not be ascertained.

    Director Lagos State Fire Service Razaq Fadipe said the Ikorodu Fire Station responded swiftly to the incident.

    “None of the officials knew the cause of the fire but we were assured the problem will be fixed for light to be restored in the affected areas,” he said.

    A fire fighter said when they got to the scene, there was no light in Ikorodu, adding: “The place is a distribution section that powers light to Maryland, Epe and other parts of the state. It was the switch room that was affected.”

  • Fire guts magistrates’ court

    A Senior Magistrates’ Court at Normans land quarters in Kano was yesterday gutted by fire.

    Impounded tyres worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Sources said the tyres were impounded by security agents and kept behind the court.

    They said the inferno started at 2pm.

    The eyewitnesses told our reporter that the fire was caused by a security guard, who allegedly made a bonfire close to where the tyres were packed. They caught fire and the inferno spread to the court building.

    The billowing smoke attracted Sabon Gari residents.

    Fire service officials, who arrived 30 minutes later, battled to put out the fire, but they were helpless, as they ran out of water.

  • Fire raze officers’ quarters in Panti, Lagos

    Fire raze officers’ quarters in Panti, Lagos

    An inferno Friday razed the officers quarters at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti, in Yaba, Lagos mainland.

    The fire which affected five self-contained apartments on the topmost floor of a two storey building was said to have started at about 2:45pm.

    Unconfirmed reports stated that the inferno was caused by a power generating set belonging to one of the officers.

    It was alleged that the unnamed officer had left his generator on while he was on duty.

    However, no life was lost neither did anyone sustain injury.

    The Nation gathered that five fire trucks were deployed from Alausa, Ilupeju, Sari Iganmu, Yaba LCDA and federal fire service.

    Confirming the development, the director, state fire service, Rasaq Fadipe said the cause was yet unknown, adding that investigations will be conducted.

  • Fire guts housing estate

    Four blocks were yesterday razed at the Dan Ladi Nassidi Estate in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.  Property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Residents of the biggest estate in Kano with over 3,000 houses said they were disappointed that there was no fire service station in the estate.

    They waited an hour before arrival of the state fire service from another part of the town.

    Head of the estate’s vigilance group, Musa Lawal, said: “We were attending a security meeting with police officers when we heard about the fire at noon. We did everything but could not put the fire out. We sent a distress call to fire service officials and waited for more than one hour before they arrived. Then, the damage had been done. We were angry.

    “But when they explained that there was another fire at a government school in Gwale Local Government, which they put out before coming here, we were pacified.”

    An official of the fire service, Adamu Mustapha, said there was no casualty.

    The four blocks belong to a senior administration and finance official of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), an engineer, an official of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and one other.

  • Fire, fire everywhere in Akwa Ibom

    Fire, fire everywhere in Akwa Ibom

    •Goods worth over N250 million gone

    FIRE swept through various parts of Akwa Ibom State in the last two weeks. Goods and businesses destroyed are estimated at over N250 million. Two petrol stations in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area and a whole fishing community in Ibeno Local Government Area were affected by the fire. Over 500 people were affected. The extent of damage and number of people affected at the fishing settlement had already drawn the attention of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

    At the fishing community at Uton  in ward 7, Iwuochang in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, about 500 inhabitants have been  rendered homeless when the community was suddenly gutted.

    Mr Usoro Akpanusoh, (PDP) member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno state constituency in the State House of Assembly, disclosed this at plenary during matters of Urgent Public Importance last week.

    Usoroh said the fire, which occurred on February 12 at about 2am, consumed all the houses and property worth millions of naira belonging to the fishing community.

    He lamented that the fire outbreak which cause was yet unknown had destroyed almost everything before the arrival of officials of the fire service.

    “Uton in Iwuochang community in Ibeno Local Government Area is a fishing settlement, which I represent in Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.

    “Its population is over 500 and main occupation is fish farming.

    “At about 2.00am on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, the fishing settlement was engulfed by fire outbreak. This happens at the wee hours of the morning when everyone was asleep,” Akpanusoh said.

    The lawmaker appealed to the House to constitute a committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire.

    He urged the Assembly to order the executives to send National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to visit the settlement for assistance.

    The report was received through a motion by Mr Lawrence David (PDP) Eket state constituency which was  seconded by the Mr Nse Essien (PDP) Onna state constituency.

    The Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke, consoled with the Uton community and thanked God that no live was lost in the inferno.

    The speaker directed the Clerk, Mrs Mandu Umoren, to communicate to relevant agencies to visit the community as matter of urgent public importance for an on the spot assessment and to render necessary assistance.

    Fire service in Akwa Ibom State is to close down filling stations that refuse to adhere to safety measures and prosecute owners following fire outbreak on two filling stations at Ibekwe and Uta Ewa in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area two Sundays ago.

    Inferno was said to have been ignited in the two filling stations – Emesons Ventures Nigeria Limited located at Ibekwe road and Uta Ewa Waterfront in Ikot Abasi when trucks were discharging the products. It was gathered that the two filling stations are owned by one man.

    Principal Fire Superintendent 1, Mrs. Ime Nkanta, urged marketers to adopt strictest safety guidelines particularly when trucks are discharging petroleum products.

    “We have been advising filling station owners to stop discharging petroleum product using pump but rather using hose between the tankers and the underground tanks.

    “But some petrol station owners do not want to adhere to safety instructions.

    “We have been talking to them; henceforth we will embark on closing stations that do not want to abide by precautionary motive,” she said.

    She advised Nigerians to be careful when using electrical appliances like water heater as it can easily ignite fire after the system had sufficiently been heated if not attended to.

    She explained that the cause of the incident was due to noncompliance with fire service rules by the filling station owner.

    She said, “The truck that was about to discharge petrol into an underground tank in the filling station caught fire and as soon as the discharge started.

    “We came out before they even ran to us as one of the stations is opposite the fire service. We started fighting the fire immediately.”

    She added that the fire razed the two filling stations within one week and destroyed property worth millions of naira. She noted that some of the property the fire destroyed include truck, buildings and nozzles, among others.

    Former councilor in Ikpa Ibekwe, Mr. Uyoatta Ikpaisong, said that the incident happened on Sunday at about 1:30pm in the area.

    The councilor commended the men and officers of Ikot Abasi fire service and Eket counterparts for their prompt response even though the havoc had already been done.

    He added that their prompt response stopped fire from spreading to other buildings around the two filling stations.

    He, however, called on the  Government to invest more in the agency in order to achieve its objectives.

    When contacted, the manager of filling stations  who refused to disclose his name said he was not around when the incident occurred.

  • Fire guts Sokoto building materials market

    Fire guts Sokoto building materials market

    Building materials worth millions of naira were gutted by fire on Saturday night at the Kara market in Sokoto.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inferno was said to have started about 10:20 pm.

    The cause could not be ascertained.

    The fire was said to have been put out about 1 am yesterday by the efforts of officials of the state Fire Service and residents, including the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Isa Achida.

    Secretary of the Building Materials Sellers Association Alhaji Bello Bibi said hundreds of traders lost their goods.

    He said items destroyed included wood, nails, ceilings, paint and carpentry materials.

    Bibi solicited the assistance of governments as well as public-spirited individuals.

    Describing the incident as an act of God, the secretary called for the strengthening of the capacity of the fire service station at the nearby Sokoto Central Market.

    Achida promised that the government would assist the victims.