Anambra Fire Service Saves Federal Secretariat In Awka As Fire Erupts In N200B Property
By Chibuzo Obidike
A fire outbreak on Tuesday afternoon at the Federal Secretariat, Awka, Anambra State, has been brought under control by the Anambra State Fire Service, with the property estimated at over N200 billion saved from destruction.
The fire started around 3pm, affecting a store and an adjoining office occupied by staff of Corixus of Nigeria, a pharmaceutical company.
The Director of the Anambra State Fire Service, Engr. Chiketa Chukwudemanuel, said firefighters responded promptly to the distress call and prevented the fire from spreading.
He estimated the damage at about N1 million, while saying the actual cause of the fire is under investigation, although a power surge was suspected.
Engr. Chukwudi stressed that fire extinguishers are most effective when used at the early stage of an outbreak, urging offices and homes to have functional extinguishers and ensure people know how to use them.
Meanwhile, the National Orientation Agency’s Anambra State PRO, Mr. Anthony Obiora, said workers attempted to contain the fire but struggled because they did not know how to properly operate the available fire extinguishers.
He urged workers to immediately alert the Fire Service whenever a fire starts to prevent it from escalating.
The situation has since been brought under control, while investigations into the cause of the outbreak continue.
