A devastating fire outbreak has razed four shops and a residential apartment on William George Street, off Edgerly Road in Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State.
Although no casualties were recorded, the inferno destroyed property valued at millions of naira. Local residents rallied to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading further.
This latest incident adds to the worrying trend of fire outbreaks in the area. Reports indicate that Calabar South has recorded 49 fire incidents between July 2024 and January 2025, a situation largely attributed to the area’s dense population and proliferation of makeshift structures.
Ekpenyong Akiba, Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Special Duties, visited the scene to assess the damage.
He expressed concern over the frequent fire incidents and assured affected residents that the state government is compiling data to provide necessary assistance.
“It is another wake-up call on the part of the authorities to step up publicity on precautionary measures to prevent future recurrence.
“We have discovered that many people built without specification which is against the master plan of the state over the years.
“Even the state Fire Service has been in a state of comatose with dilapidated facilities and operational vehicles,“ he said.
According to him, the governor was trying to renovate the premises of the fire service as well as its operational vehicles, while also collaborating with other agencies for effective service delivery.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Antigha Gil, explained that the incident was unfortunate, promising to carry out an assessment of the damage and transmit it to the state government.
He also warned residents of the state to endeavour to put off their appliances when they were going out, noting that erratic power supply could cause a spark at any point.
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