Fire outbreak has again wreaked havoc in Edo State as property, mostly medical equipment, were destroyed in an inferno that gutted shops opposite the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH.
DAILY POST reports that the fire outbreak happened in less than 36 hours after that, that gutted a section of Ekiosa market, where about 20 shops were affected, resulting in the loss of property estimated to be worth one billion naira.
It was gathered that the fire started at a shop dealing in hospital and laboratory equipment by 2 pm and later spread to other shops within the building.
It was also gathered that all four shops directly opposite the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) were completely razed in the inferno.
Speaking with newsmen, Mr Sunday Madubuko, a shop owner who operates a boutique, said around 2:45 pm, a shop next to his was on fire, as he was told by the shop salesgirl.
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 from the operational commander of the unit.
He, however, promised to get back to journalists as soon as he gets full details of the fire incident.
It was, however, learned that goods and property estimated to be hundreds of millions of naira were lost to the inferno.