Fire Razes Over 40 Batcher Houses in Port Harcourt, Displaces Scores
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State — Panic broke out on Tuesday as a raging fire swept through Onukwuru Street, off Rumuolumeni Road, popularly known as Iwofe Road, in Port Harcourt, destroying more than 40 batcher houses and leaving scores of residents homeless.
The inferno, which reportedly started from a firewood stove, spread rapidly through the densely packed makeshift structures, consuming homes, personal belongings and other valuables worth millions of naira.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started while a woman was frying groundnuts with firewood and another woman attempted to pour kerosene from a jerrycan into a nearby basin.
The woman frying the groundnuts reportedly raised an alarm and warned against pouring the kerosene while the fire was still burning. The warning was allegedly ignored, resulting in the kerosene catching fire and triggering the rapid spread of the flames.
Residents reportedly battled desperately to contain the fire as it moved from one structure to another. However, the combustible materials used in constructing the batchers made it difficult to stop the inferno.
By the time the fire was brought under control, over 40 houses had reportedly been destroyed, leaving many families counting their losses and searching through the wreckage for anything that could be salvaged.
Affected residents were seen retrieving damaged belongings from the debris, with some reportedly forced to seek temporary shelter elsewhere.
No life was lost in the incident as of the time of filing this report, although the scale of property destruction has left residents deeply distressed.
The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety in densely populated settlements and the dangers associated with handling kerosene and other highly inflammable materials around open flames.
