Fire Razes Carpet Factory In C’River

A mysterious fire has burnt multi-billion Naira Jackson Devos factory, the producers of crown carpet at the Calabar Free trade zone of the Nigeria Export Promotion Zone Authority, (NEPZA) in Calabar, Cross River.
The smoldering inferno according to an eyewitness started at about 10 am in the morning behind the building which housed the company’s newest factory specially designed to produce modern rugs to complement the wall to wall carpet factory.
The factory, a prefabricated building imported from Belgium because of its unique features which engineers who spoke with newsmen but pleaded for anonymity said is totally worthless, it’s valued at about 600,000 dollars besides the six machines completely burnt to ashes.
Another staff of the firm who lamented the inferno and the destruction caused said she was not an official spokesperson for the company but recounted how
She was shocked to see the building burnt in the hellhole.
“I went to work at about 9 am, performed my normal checks. But while I was settling down, I heard the security man shouting for help. When we rushed out, we saw smoke behind the building. Nobody knew what was going on.
“Frightened, we contacted the fire service at the zone immediately while others put calls through to the city fire service and any other organization like Nigeria Port Authorities in the zone and our immediate neighbouring companies for help.
“Electricity had not been reconnected to the building. We only open the door daily for fresh air,” she said explaining that, by the time the fire fighters arrived they were overpowered by the fierce inferno and had to call for backups as the water from the first tank was exhausted yet the flames were rising steadily.
“When other workers in the adjoining companies arrived they joined the fire service men to battle the blaze” She further recounted that before the fire was put off finally, a colossal damage has been done leaving the factory in ruin.
Jackson Devos carpet factory has been one of the reliable textile industries in Nigeria employing hundreds of staff across the country until in 1980s when the NDIC took over the property with view to recovering a loan allegedly owned by the company.