An early morning fire at a beer parlour in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Friday claimed the lives of three female workers who were sleeping in the building.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that this is the third fire incident in Anambra in less than 72 hours.
Recall that at least three persons were burnt on Wednesday in a fire incident in Onitsha when a petrol tanker fell at Iweka road and caught fire which spread to nearby buildings and shops at Ochanja Market.
Among the dead were a mother and her daughter while the third victim was a trader at the popular Ochanja Market.
While the second fire, occurred on the Enugu-Onitsha highway on Friday morning, involving a petrol tanker, where properties were lost but no casualty recorded.
Meanwhile, an early morning fire incident in Nnewi, on Friday killed three female workers at a beer parlour.
Eyewitness disclosed to newsmen that the incident happened at Ezekwuabo Otolo Nnewi, close to St. Thomas Anglican Church (Akwudo).
The fire started at the place, called Padded Joint, around 3:00 a.m.
The source of the fire was yet to be ascertained at the time of filling this report.
It was reported that the owner shut the beer parlour where the three female workers slept before leaving for her house the night before the fire outbreak.
A Source disclosed to newsmen that it is a normal occurrence for the owner to close the building and go home with the keys even if some of her staff slept over.
According to eyewitness “The three girls could not escape because the rooms were locked and there was no way for them to exit as at that time,” the source said.
While reacting to the inferno, the police commissioner in the state, John Abang, confirmed the incident.
“It’s a drinking joint and the waiters who do sleep over in the joint lost their lives. Very unfortunate”, he said.
Mr Abang said the owner of the joint has been arrested and has made useful statement to the police.
Also, the corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the Nnewi Diocesan Hospital (Akwudo) by the police.