Residents panicked on Thursday evening, January 2, as fire razed down a storey building along First Marine Gate in Warri, Delta State, destroying properties estimated at millions of naira.
According to a report by The Nation, the incident started at about 4:30pm. Although no life was lost, all occupants of the storey building have become homeless due to the inferno.
According to residents, an unidentified person had set fire on a refuse dump.
Unfortunately, the flames from the burning refuse, extended to a nearby shanty and then the storey building, which was very close to it.
Efforts by people in the area to quench the raging inferno which was fueled by the harmattan wind failed.
It was gathered that the Delta State Fire Service when contacted claimed that the truck was faulty.
“A resident of the area set fire on a small refuse dump but didn’t watch it closely. It somehow extended to a makeshift building behind the storey building and razed both buildings and occupants’ properties,” a resident who simply identified himself as Felix, disclosed.
It was learnt that some occupants of the building are yet to return from the yuletide celebrations, further making efforts to put out the fire difficult.
The Vice-Chairman of Warri South council area, Mrs Divine Iniovosa, who rushed to the scene at the instance of the local government chairman, Dr. Michael Tidi, described the incident as unfortunate.
Iniovosa, who claimed to have equally contacted fire service in the area, said she was told that the firefighter truck was in bad condition.