Two buildings razed in Delta after fire truck developed mechanism fault

Residents along Lower Erejuwa Road by Ope Junction, Warri, Delta State have lamented the early morning fire that razed down two buildings and raised concerns over the inability of Delta State Fire Fighters to put out the fire.

While owners of affected properties and goods wailed during the fire, vandals had a free day looting, even as neighbors attempted to help the situation.

Residents who spoke to our correspondent attributed the cause of the fire to an electrical bridge and the challenge faced by the fire fighters while trying to put out the fire.

Elder Paul Obire, a landlord in Ope and former football coach of the defunct NNPC Football Club, Warri, said the fire broke out of one of the affected compounds when power was restored by Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) about 1am after three days of power outage.

Coach Obire stated that the fire fighters whose station is located in the neighborhood, responded almost immediately but only for them to allegedly complain that their fire truck did not have water to pull out the fire.

”The fire fighters left and did not come back till the time of the media interaction. In the past, fire fighters who have such a challenge reached out to other sister fire stations in SPDC, NPA and NNPC, but the Delta S
tate government fire fighters did not do.

“Fire services are essential and that they should be efficient in order to minimize the effects of such fire disasters’ he lamented.

While sympathizing with victims of the fire disaster, Obire frowned at the activities of some unscrupulous persons involved in looting of goods and properties of victims during and after the fire disaster,” saying this shows the level of hunger and poverty in the country.

Meanwhile, another resident who simply identified himself as a cleric, observed that the fire fighters had problems with the water pumping mechanism of their truck.

However, head of Delta State Fire Station in Warri, the nearby Obahor Street, Off Ogboru road who identified himself as M. K lgbinoba confirmed that the fighting truck developed equipment failure hence they went back to their station without combating the fire.

“l have sent for a mechanic to put the said equipment in order and l have reported the matter to the headquarters of the fire service in Asaba” he stated..

Two buildings razed in Delta after fire truck developed mechanism fault