Houses, cars, property worth billions destroyed, as Obiano, others pledge help for victims
From Jeff Amechi Agbodo and Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Few months after a tanker fire killed about 69 persons at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State, another tanker fire raged at Onitsha on Wednesday night. Property and goods worth over N2 billion were destroyed.
Though no life was lost in the inferno that started about 8.20pm, four people were injured and are presently receiving medical treatment while two commercial banks were partially affected.
The Director, Anambra State Emergency Management (SEMA), Chief Paul Odenigbo confirmed that 13 buildings, 16 vehicles, three tricycles and two filling stations were affected. Also razed were two bookshops, an eatery, law offices, residential houses, and many shops.
An eyewitness, Mr. Jude Nwaso said the fire was caused by a fuel tanker that lost control along Awka Road and crashed at the filling station situated at Denis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) junction at Onitsha.
“I was crossing the road when I saw the tanker crashing into the filling station at the roundabout. Immediately it happened, everybody started running, and after some minutes, it exploded and caught fire,” he said.
A victim, who owns a two-storey building at the back of the filling station, Mrs. A. Ekweneku told our correspondent that her whole house was burnt, though the family escaped from the fire.
Another victim and owner of two bookshops, Mr. Chidi Mbanugo said he lost over N20 million to the fire. He blamed the government for approving the location of a filling station in a residential area.
Other victims, Chima Agbo and Uche Urama, who owned aluminium window shops, lamented that their entire livelihood was destroyed by the fire and called on government and good spirited individuals to come to their aid.
A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Stephen Ugwu, who narrowly escaped death at the scene, lost his car in the filling station.
Catholic Bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke who led other priests into the arena said he was shocked over the incident. He prayed that through God’s own power, the victims would be consoled and would bounce back economically.
A legal practitioner, Humphrey Udechukwu, who lost his Volvo car to the fire, narrated to the reporter how five other lawyers out of the nine operating from the building on 88B, Upper New Market Road, lost six cars in the inferno. He regretted that the late arrival of fire fighters helped in escalating the fire. He said after the crash of the tanker, it took about 30 minutes before it burst into flames.
Udechukwu also disclosed that hoodlums cashed in on the situation to wreak havoc, as they stole his laptop while some shops were also looted.
The Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Dr. Owen Nwokolo, who visited the scene of the fire, prayed God to avert a future recurrence.
He called on government and wealthy people to assist those that lost their property to the fire, urging the town planners not to build petrol stations close to residential houses.
Governor Willie Obiano, who arrived the scene by 2pm yesterday, said the state would consider relocating all the filling station affected as well as others located within the residential areas.
Flanked by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Commander 302 Artillery Regiment, Col. Idiongesit Akpan and Commanding Officer, Naval Outpost, Onitsha, Capt Mohammed Dahiru, the governor said his administration had ordered for three special fire-fighting trucks.
He said: “I am going to set up a committee that will look into the actual people that were affected, headed by the Obi of Onitsha and we will ensure that they are relocated to nearby places here. The state will pay their house rent even if it is for one year, for them to get back to their feet.
“I am also using this opportunity to direct the Federal Road Safety Commission to seize any heavy duty vehicle coming into Anambra state with bad tyres, and detain the driver for at least a day, so that they know that we are serious about safeguarding our people. And we are going to erect barriers in our three flyovers in the state to stop them from falling and blocking our roads.”
Governor Obiano said that the state also recorded about five other infernos on Wednesday, even though they were minor.
Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sam Okaula, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Nkiru Nwode, warned miscreants to stop cashing in on fire incidents and other unfortunate situations to rob people of their property.
Nwode said the police arrested three persons who wanted to use the opportunity of the Onitsha fire incident to loot people’s property, saying that they would face the wrath of the law after investigations.
The Divisional Police Officer in Charge of Central Police Station (CPS), Mr. Mark Ijarafu said the entire area had been cordoned off for proper investigation and safety of the public.
Former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Oseloka Henry Obaze who also visited the scene, commiserated with the victims, describing it as an unfortunate incident.
“Once again, our people have fallen victims to fire incident, which could have been prevented and contained sooner if the necessary public service facilities like fire hydrants, fire trucks and pipe borne water were easily accessible. This particular incident underlines the enforcement failure and the increasing indiscriminate siting of petrol stations next to residential areas in our cities and towns,” he said.
Obaze noted that the security of the people included public safety and protection from being in harms way, including unwarranted fire and traffic accidents.
An industrialist and leader of the Progressives People’s Alliance in Anambra State, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, who was at the scene also shared the pains of the victims. He promised to assist a widow, Mrs Oboli Joano whose private building was destroyed in the fire.
A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Chief Alex Obiogbolu urged the state House of Assembly to budget more money for the state fire service.
“Out of N116 billion budgeted for 2016, nothing was appropriated for fire service. How do we want them to function well to save lives and property? Why should we always call the Asaba fire service anytime there is fire outbreak?”
A member of the House of Assembly representing Onitsha North Constituency, Hon. Beverly Ikpeazu said the incident occurred because the residential houses and filling stations were close.
She promised to reach out to the people that lost their property to the fire, saying that the incident affected her directly and indirectly because the area was her polling unit.