By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A student of the Bishop Crowther Memorial Seminary School, Awka, Anambra State has been burnt to death in a fire outbreak that gut one of the school hostels over the weekend.
The Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Fire Service, Mr. Harrison Nwegwu confirmed this in a statement to newsmen on Sunday.
According to him, Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call at about 11:30pm on Saturday, 18th May, 2024 reporting a fire outbreak in one of the school’s hostels, which made them to immediately deploy their Firefighters and one of the fire trucks to the scene of the incident and put off the fire.
While noting that the cause of the fire outbreak is yet to be unraveled, he, however, confirmed that one of the students of the school died during the fire outbreak and has been taken to the mortuary.
Giving update on the incident, Mr. Nwegwu said the Anambra State Fire Service Chief, Engr. Chukwudi Emmanuel Chiketa visited the scene again at 10:55am on Sunday, for a first-hand inspection and assessment of the level of damages caused by the fire outbreak.
Continuing, he said: “The School Principal, Ven. Dr. Emendu who received the Fire Chief narrated how the fire affected a part of the school’s hostel, damaged everything, including mattresses and other students’ belongings there in, and left one dead. According to the Principal, there’s no other casualty, no injury recorded.
“Dr. Emendu commended the State Fire Service, whom, he testified, that they arrived promptly on time as soon as was called and prevented the raging fire from further escalation to other parts of the building.
“The Fire Chief sympathized with the school management and the entire students of Bishop Crowther Memorial Seminary School, Awka, urging them to take heart as God will console them in his own way.
“He also commiserated with the family of the deceased whom at the time of the visit were still on their way to the school, stating that it’s always painful and heartbreaking to loose a child, not to talk of in such situation of fire outbreak. He prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss.
“Advising the general public, the Fire Chief reiterated that fire kills but it can be controlled. He urged the people to always be safety conscious, and also, be careful in all that they do.”
