A portion of Ugbowo axis on the Benin- Lagos Road was engulfed by fire on Wednesday leaving onlookers and residents soaked in tears just as millions of naira was lost in the tragedy.
It took the intervention of the men of the Federal Fire Service, Edo State Fire Service, Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport Benin, the University of Benin Fire Service (UNIBEN) and the workers of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to put out the raging fire.
The fire incident, which was said to have started from one of the shops, dealing on Hospital and Laboratory equipment, later spread to other shops within the building.
It was gathered that the fire incident that occured by 2pm caused alot of anxiety as residents and shop owners made frantic efforts to salvage the goods, while operatives of the different fire services were on ground to fight the fire, without any luck.
A visit by Popular News to the scene of the inferno showed that all four shops directly opposite the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) were completely razed in the inferno.
Speaking with one of the affected shop owners who operates a Boutique, Mr. Sunday Madubuko said that about 2.45pm, the shop next to his was on fire, and the sales girl ran to his shop telling him that fire is burning in their office.
“I told her I don’t have fire extinguisher. Before I knew it, the fire extended to my Boutique. All I know is that the fire started from the Laboratory Shop and spread to other shops. The cause of the fire, I still don’t know. What I lost in the inferno is goods worth over N20,000,000(twenty million naira),” Madubuko said.
