CHRIS AKHABUE, Edo
Millions of properties were lost on Sunday afternoon as a popular shopping mall, Anambra Supermarket, was gutted by fire in the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City, Edo State.
The fire incident, which started on the first floor of the two-storey building, was believed to have been caused by faulty solar panels installed on the roof of the structure.
A viral video circulating on social media and obtained by our reporter showed a crowd gathered along the busy Benin–Auchi Road attempting to put out the raging inferno before the arrival of fire service personnel from the Edo State Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service.
An eyewitness, Mr. Chukwuemeka Adimorah, who identified himself as a friend of the supermarket owner, said he contacted the owner’s wife after learning about the incident and was informed that the fire service had already been alerted.
“I called the wife of the owner, but she told me she was aware and had informed the fire service. I want to thank the fire service personnel; they have done a good job today.”
Another eyewitness, Lucky Bright, said he was also returning from church when he noticed the fire. He commended the fire service for its prompt response, which he said prevented the supermarket from being completely destroyed.
Also speaking, Blessing Aidengbe attributed the fire outbreak to a possible fault in one of the solar panels installed on the roof of the building.
“I suspect that there is a faulty panel among those panels on the roof of the building because whenever there is a fault, it can result in a fire outbreak,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Managing Director of the Edo State Fire Service for comments were unsuccessful.
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