Tragedy: Fire Guts Spare Parts Market, Coal Camp, Enugu

… As Fire Service Officer feared dead, shops, vehicle parts worth millions of naira burnt

BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU

Tragedy struck on Wednesday at Coal Camp, Enugu the Enugu State capital as fire gutted Spare Parts Market in the area, destroying shops, vehicle accessories worth millions of naira.

A fire service personnel who name was given as Engr. Chigozie Ugwu, was said to have died in the incident while trying to stop the fire from escalating.

Reports had it that the inferno occurred at about 1pm on the fateful day. The cause of the incident was yet unknown as at the time of going to press.

Reacting to the incident, the President of the spare parts market, Mike Nomeh, told reporters that the fire was said to have started from a restaurant located somewhere within the market.

His words: “The security personnel in the market noticed a shop that was burning in the night but the couldn’t open the shop due to heavy protector used to lock the shop. So in the process, the fire got to a nearby restaurant where they use gas in cooking and that was what exploded and went out of control and spread through other shops

“And by the time the fire fighters arrived, a lot of devastation had been caused by the fire.”

The Chief Fire Officer in Enugu state, Okwudili Ohaa, said that the late fire officer, Chigozie Ugwu was always dedicated to duty and was ever ready respond to emergency calls.

“Chigozie Ugwu is one officer who many time don’t bother about his rank. Rather than send his juniors to respond to emergencies, he would prefer to be there himself. It was very unfortunate that he died after putting off the raging fire

“We miss him and may his soul rest in peace”. he said.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.