FIRE INCIDENT: 4 die, scores injured as weekend blaze wreaks havoc in Lagos, C’River, Anambra, Ondo

*Businesses worth billions of naira destroyed

 

ORIAKU IJELE (Lagos), IDONGESIT INYANG (Calabar) & ADETOKUNBO ABIOLA (Akure)

Four persons may have died with scores of others injured as a result of fire incidents across Nigerian states like Lagos, Anambra, Ondo and Cross River during the weekend. The ugly incident also set businesses back by losses running into billions of naira.

 

A statement by the Controller General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, noted that the accident occurred at 02:36 wee hours of Saturday.

The incident saw Lekki Phase II, Oniru, and Epe II Fire Stations of the Agency rush to the scene after it was reported that an oncoming speeding 20-tonne tipper truck from Epe end, rammed from behind into a stationary 30-tonne gas truck that failed to pull over from the highway.

 

It led to a fire spreading to three adjoining warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and generator house, before it was eventually put out.

 

A Total Petrol Filling Station with a 33,000-liter PMS tanker and a host of properties in the area was saved from the fire.

 

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the immediate cause of the incident was over speeding and reckless driving on the part of the tipper truck driver,” he said.

 

Oke-Osanyintolu stated that the driver of the tipper truck, an adult male, died from injuries sustained in the crash.

 

He added that two adult females suffered minor injuries and were immediately attended to by the officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS).

 

In a similar development, fire destroyed goods and disrupted activities in one of the busiest commercial hubs in the Onitsha metropolis in Anambra,

 

It was gathered that the market, situated along the busy Onitsha–Awka Expressway near the River Niger Bridge, went up in flames in the late hours of Friday, with the blaze spreading into the early hours of Saturday.

 

Eyewitnesses said the fire started around 11:55 p.m. and spread rapidly across sections of the market before it could be contained, making it difficult for traders to salvage their goods.

 

All efforts by some affected traders to recover their wares were abortive due to how intense the fire was.

 

According to the leadership of the market, as well as the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chinedu Ezekwike, the timely intervention of the fire service and key stakeholders helped prevent further spread of the fire to the plywood and Ogbo Ogwu sections.

 

The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, but traders at the affected market are counting their losses and calling on both the state government and public-spirited individuals to run to their aid.

 

In Cross River, the inferno on Saturday occurred and destroyed Fonex Gas and filing Station at Edibe Edibe street in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River.

 

The station, is located in a densely populated neighbourhood, and the inferno affected nearby shops and buildings, forcing residents and business owners to flee for safety.

 

It consumed major sections of the station, including its fuel and gas storage tanks, as well as vehicles parked within the premises.

 

About 50 people who sustained serious injuries from the impact of the explosion were receiving first aid at nearby patent medicine stores while others were rushed to hospitals for further treatment.

 

People who gathered at the scene, used several means including sand, water, and other improvised means to quench the ravaging fire.

 

Some residents alleged that the explosion may have been triggered by an electrical fault or expired equipment within the facility.

 

A traditional Chief, HRH, Ekanem Etim, told our reporter at the scene of the fire incident that the inferno extended to his house and destroyed several goods.

 

According to him, he had to rush into the house to secure only his certificate and the children thanking God that no life was lost.

 

Etim, who wondered whether there is no “fire service in this county” regretted that apart from members of the the Civil Defence Corps who were around, no other emergency responders featured upon the noise of the explosion.

 

However, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, confirmed that officers had been deployed to the scene adding that efforts were underway to mobilise fire service personnel, including support from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to contain the situation.

 

The spokesman, ASP Sunday Eitokpah also said that no death had been recorded so far from the explosion that razed a gas station and residential buildings.

 

Eitokpah said that the victims had been taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

 

He identified gas leakage as the reason for the explosion that occurred at Edibe Edibe, a densely populated area of Calabar South Local Government Area.

 

The police image maker said that the explosion occurred at about 10.00 a.m. when a gas station attendant attempted to transfer gas from the storage tank to the service tank

 

He said that in the process, the gas hose got detached and caused gas fumes to leak within the environment.

 

“All attempts to secure the storage tap were not successful. The leak happened rapidly, there was no time to alert residents.

 

“The area came up in flames, and resulted in significant property damage, the value of which is currently unquantified,” he said.

 

When contacted, Mrs Olumayowa Olomola, the Commanding Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Cross River, said that the service could not respond to put off the inferno because its truck was faulty.

 

“Our truck was vandalised by hoodlums during a recent operation in Calabar. Some of our personnel were injured too, so we couldn’t respond,” she said.

 

Also speaking, Mr Emmanuel Ajom, the Director, Cross River Fire Service, said that the service’s fire trucks were undergoing maintenance.

 

“These trucks were procured about 14 years ago, they are undergoing routine maintenance, we couldn’t respond.

 

Meanwhile in Ondo, two children, six-year-old Queen Ohwo and four-year-old Everlyne Ohwo, both daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Ohwo Peter, were burnt to death at a tragic fire incident that occurred on March 18.

 

According to a press release signed by Abayomi Jimoh, Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, the incident took place at No. 1 Olaribigbe Street, Zion Area, Ode-Aye, in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

 

Police operatives visited the scene when informed of the incident, with the necessary photographs and documentation carried out, while the remains of the victims, which were severely burnt, were evacuated to the Health Centre in Ode-Aye.

 

The parents of the deceased, who were found to be in deep shock and trauma, were present at the health centre, with the Ondo State Police Command under the leadership of CP Adebowale Lawal commencing investigation into the tragic fire incident.

 

Though Lawal has ordered a thorough and discreet investigation into the incident to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the fire outbreak, preliminary investigation suggested that the fire may have resulted from negligence during cooking activities.

 

Still, according to the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Ode-Aye has been directed to cordon off the scene, obtain statements from relevant witnesses, and collaborate with the Federal Fire Services to determine the extent and origin of the fire.

 

The Command commiserated with the bereaved family over the painful loss and urged members of the public to exercise utmost caution in handling fire and cooking appliances to prevent similar tragedies.