Fire guts warehouse, destroys over N50m goods in Abia

Fire has destroyed goods worth over N50 million at a warehouse around the Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State.

The Landlord of the building, Paul Ajah, said the fire spread into the warehouse located along the Crescent/Umuode Road in Aba from across the compound.

Ajah stated that the inferno could have been resisted, considering the quality of the building, but was aided by the harmattan wind.

He said the fire outbreak, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, escalated from items being burnt outside the building and spread over the wall fence into the warehouse.

“We did not notice early until people saw the flames of fire in the warehouse and alerted us.

“It was then that we went into action to try to quench it.

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“A good Samaritan later called the Fire Service, which came and helped to quench the fire,” Ajah said.

The owner of the warehouse, Nobertgreat Atulegwu, said he brought new stock into the place in December 2022.

Atulegwu said he was leaving Aba for a burial in his hometown when he received a call that his warehouse was on fire.

“On getting here I found that everything had totally burned down.

“I am yet to ascertain where the fire came from.

“Unfortunately for me, it was only my warehouse that was burnt in the building and there was no electrical device or connection in that building,” he stated.

Confirming the incident, the Commander, Aba Command of the Abia State Fire Service, Belenta Belenta, said the agency received a distress call about the fire from the Chief Security Officer of Ariaria International Market, Chimezie Smart.

Belenta said the Fire Service officers quickly responded and put out the fire.

He said: “The fire originated from the activities of the landlord’s children somewhere close to the warehouse.

“People in the neighbourhood helped to put it out but did not know that it had spread into the warehouse.”

The Star