Follow Us on Google
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
A major fire outbreak yesterday morning gutted Spar, the largest shopping mall in Calabar, the Cross River State.
The inferno affected a large part of the complex. Apart from the main mall, several shops within the complex were completely razed.
Multiple phone shops were reduced to ashes, while pharmacies, boutiques, gaming centres and other businesses were also affected.
No lives have been lost so far, and an official estimate of the damage has not been ascertained.
Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, who was represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, visited the scene of the inferno to assess the situation and offer solidarity to those affected.
Speaking to newsmen at the scene, Odey expressed sympathy to all those affected by the fire, noting that he had interacted with the manager of the store. He stated that the cause of the fire, was yet to be ascertained.
Odey assured the victims that the government would not abandon them in their trying moment, adding that the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, was already taking steps to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate relief.
He further assured them that the government would provide the necessary support to enable the affected businesses to resume operations in the near future, while measures would also be taken to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
The Deputy Governor maintained that the Cross River State Fire Service had been adequately equipped to respond to emergencies of this nature and the service responded promptly.
He appreciated the firefighters who put their lives on the line to ensure that the fire was brought under control, while also commending the police and other security agencies for maintaining security at the scene and preventing the affected shops from being looted.
Cross River State has been contending with a growing fire epidemic, with multiple incidents reported between January and August this year.
Within this period, at least 25 fire incidents have been reported across the state, resulting in massive and unquantified loss of properties amounting to millions of naira.
Some of these incidents include the Fonnex Filling Station, Akim Timber Market, and numerous outbreaks in Calabar at Abasi Orok, Abasi Edem, Customs Line, High Court, Nyaghasang, Double Pole, and many others.
