Fire Razes 3 Buildings; Tide Staff, Others Count Losses

Residents of No. 2 Oloibiri street in D/Line, Port Harcourt, are still counting their losses following a mysterious fire that gutted the building in the wee hours of Friday, 11 October, 2013.
One of the victims of the ravaging inferno that brought the entire 24- rooms building to ruins, is the Librarian,  of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Publishers of The Tide Newspaper, Mr. Friday Badom.
Recounting his ordeal to The Tide, Mr. Badom said he lost all his belongings to the fire disaster which came as a surprise to everybody, but thanked God that his life and that of his family is spared.
Badom recalled that the fire started from a room at the front of the building at exactly 1.30am, with an explosion that startled everyone with the fear that armed robbers had evaded the building, adding that it was later discovered that the entire building was on fire.
Although no life was lost in the fire, Badmon said residents of the building lost valuale belongings worth millions of Naira to the fire.
Eye witness account also had it that personnel from the Rivers State Fire service arrived the scene of the fire but were unable to stop the blaze adding that it took the late arrival of fight fighters from Total company to stop the five from extending to other building.
The real cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but according to The Tide investigation, it is likely traceable to electrical fault.
Similarly, two buildings along Ogbuga street in Ogbunabli, Port Harcourt were yesterday razed following an early morning fire outbreak.
Some residents of the area who spoke with The Tide, said the fire started as spark from a high voltage electrical pole extended to the affected buildings, which are presently in rubbles.
They said the situation was worsened, by generators around the affected, building and the absence of fire fighters to extinguish the fire. Properties worth millions of Naira were also lost in the inferno.

Taneh Beemene