Rivers: Fire wrecks havoc in Port Harcourt, destroys properties worth millions of naira

EMMANUEL NLEWEDUM, Port Harcourt

Residents of Diobu in Mile 2 area of Port Harcourt City local government area of Rivers State were yesterday thrown into pandemonium as properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in an early morning inferno at a compound located at Okwele/Lumumber streets.

Our correspondent who visited the scene of the incident reports that the building housing ten rooms apartment and twelve shops fully stocked with goods, was completely razed by the fire which was said to have started by 4:00am.

Though the cause of the inferno was yet to be ascertained but there are speculations that the fire may have been caused by cooking gas leakage in one of the apartments.

A resident of the street who was  identified as Ifeanyi told Daily Champion that at about 4am on Friday morning, they were awakened by screaming from occupants of the compound.

He stated that before residents mobilized to the building, the fire had spread to over 8 apartments and the roof of the building, and there was little the neighbours could do to put off the fire.

“The occupants had to save their lives first by running out of the building. The fire was so intense that the occupants of the compound could only remove very little valuables. People who own shops in the building also suffered great loss because they had closed for business as at the time of the incident.

“The Police and local vigilante group were on ground to prevent hoodlums from stealing the little items some of the occupants managed to bring out from their houses”.

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