Shop owners at No 20 Park road, Aba, the commercial capital of Abia state have sent a save our soul message to the state government over the recent fire incident which gutted their shops destroying goods worth over N2million.
247ureports.com gathered that the source of the fire which consumed six shops is still unknown as the area has not enjoyed electricity since the past one week.
Sources disclosed that beside the burnt 6 shops, the inferno would have spread to nearby building but for the timely intervention of the men of the men of the state Fire Service.
A victim, Mr. Ogbonna Ukwuije commended the efforts of the men of the Fire service said he cannot quantify what he lost to the inferno, stressing that the more than 20 buildings would have been consumed in the incident if not for their efforts.
“My phone rang around 2am that my shop was on fire. I rushed down to see that all I have labored for in my life has gone up in flames. I sell and repair air-conditioners, and refrigerators.
Not even a pin was salvaged. Everything was gone. I’m calling on the state government to equip the fire service people because if they had more than one engine, they would have stopped the fire from doing much damage. By the time they refilled and came back, the damage was done. I thank God; they succeeded in stopping it from spreading to nearby buildings. ”
Another victim, Mr. Okechukwu Nwakaozo who also lost refrigerators, freezers and air-conditioners to the infeno appealed to the authorities and public spirited individuals to assist him reduce the effect of the loss on him.
Speaking with newsmen, Director, Abia state Fire Service, Mr. Victor Gbaruko said his men noticed the fire from their office and were able to stop it from spreading to adjoining buildings before they went to refill.
Gbaruko said the lack of a back up fire engine has continued to affect their operations.
“When we came, only two shops were on fire, before we refilled and came back, the whole building has been consumed. If we have a back up, no fire will overwhelm my men, I tell you we cannot lose any building to fire incident no matter the strength. Our problem is that by the time we get back to the station to refill and refill, the fire would have wrecked more havoc.”
He advised residents to ensure that their electric appliances are always switched off when not in use.
“People must ensure they remove all appliances when they are not in use. Even when there is no electric supply, it is dangerous to leave the switches working. There are fake wires everywhere. We are talking of adding 8000 megawatts to the national grid. If we don’t have constant electricity now and this is happening, what do you think will be the situation when electricity becomes constant? Everybody must be safety conscious.”
