Fire outbreak in Edo State has wreaked havoc; as property, mostly medical equipment, worth millions of Naira have been destroyed.
According to report, the inferno gutted shops located opposite the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH.
DAILY POST reports that the fire outbreak happened less than 36 hours after another fire gutted a section of Ekiosa market. At the market, about 20 shops were affected, which resulted in the loss of property estimated to be worth One Billion Naira.
According to report, the fire started at about 2.pm in a shop dealing in hospital and laboratory equipment. It, however, later spread to other shops within the building.
DAILY POST stated that all four shops directly opposite the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) were completely razed in the inferno.
Speaking with newsmen, Sunday Madubuko, a shop owner who operates a boutique, expressed pains. He said the fire outbreak stated around 2:45 pm, in a shop next to his. That when the fire outbreak started, the salesgirl ran to him for fire extinguisher, which he didn’t have.
According to him, “The salesgirl ran to my shop, telling me that fire was burning in our office. I told her I don’t have a fire extinguisher. Before I knew it, the fire extended to my boutique.
“All I know is that the fire started from the laboratory shop and spread to other shops. The cause of the fire, I still don’t know. What I lost in the inferno is worth over N20 million,” he said.
It was learned that men of the Federal Fire Service, Edo State Fire Service, the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport Benin, the University of Benin Fire Service, UNIBEN, and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, battled helplessly to put out the raging fire.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Federal Fire Service, Asimu Sumaila, said he was yet to get the full report. He stated that he had to wait to hear from the operational commander of the unit.
Sumaila, however, promised to get back to journalists as soon as the full details of the fire incident get to him.
It was, however, learned that goods and property estimated to run into millions of Naira were lost to the inferno.
source: Daily Post
