Delta Firefighters ‘Nowhere To Be Found’ As Fire Razed Storey Building In Warri

Residents and occupants of a storey building razed to the ground on Thursday evening in Warri, have lamented the failure of the Delta State Emergency Fire Service to come to their rescue.

Residents say the failure of the fire Service have brought painful memories of how they lost their valuables to the inferno.

One of the residents of the area who simply gave his name as Odia, disclosed on Friday that several persons who had travelled for Christmas celebrations loss properties as no rescue came during the fire incident which started at about 4:30pm.

The Nation had reported that properties worth millions of naira were razed down in the storey building located along First Marine Gate in Warri, Delta State.

Although no life was lost, all occupants of the storey building have become homeless due to the inferno.

According to residents, an unidentified person had set fire on a refuse dump.

Unfortunately, the flames from the burning refuse, extended to a nearby shanty and then the storey building, which was very close to it.

Efforts by people in the area to quench the raging inferno which was fueled by the harmattan wind failed.

It was gathered that the Delta State Fire Service when contacted claimed that the truck was faulty.

“A resident of the area set fire on a small refuse dump but didn’t watch it closely. It somehow extended to a makeshift building behind the storey building and razed both buildings and occupants’ properties,” a resident who simply identified himself as Felix, disclosed.

It was learnt that some occupants of the building are yet to return from the yuletide celebrations, further making efforts to put out the fire difficult.

The Vice-Chairman of Warri South council area, Mrs Divine Iniovosa, who rushed to the scene at the instance of the local government chairman, Dr. Michael Tidi, described the incident as unfortunate.

Iniovosa, who claimed to have equally contacted fire service in the area, said she was told that the firefighter truck was in bad condition.