An 11-year-old boy, identified as Mkpuma Chidirim, has escaped being burnt alive at his residence located at No.28 Udensi Street, Abakaliki.
According to information gathered by THE VOICE the building where he resides was gutted by fire while he was sleeping, but he was rescued due to the timely intervention of his sister, who jumped into the flat, and woke him up.
Stating ‘ I am glad that I am alive, God saved me from being burnt to death” he noted.
Another victim, Okoro Mkpuma, a father of nine children and a staff of Ikwo College of Education, blamed the fire on a power surge.
Narrating his ordeal, Mkpuma, who hails from Ohaozara LGA, said that all his valued documents and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire.
According to him: “I was on my way when they called me that fire is raging in our building, and on reaching and I saw that all the building was on fire. There is no way we can sleep now. The whole building was razed completely.
“The problem was that there was an amount of money my wife kept inside the room. The money was given to her by somebody to keep. We will welcome any help the state government can render to us.”
Another victim, Aleke Samson, a public servant, said he lost valuable properties and cash worth over N30 million in the fire incident.
According to him: “I was called that our building is on fire. Nothing was removed from our apartment. Everything, both cash and properties, was gutted by the fire. The only thing is that there was no life lost. People who are around said that the fire was caused by EDDC power surge.
“I want the government to help us because we are totally stranded. What I lost in this fire incident is over N30 million.”
The Ebonyi State Chief Fire Officer, Engr. Raphael Ibiam who spoke to newsmen at the venue said that they were contacted relatively late after the fire had gutted the building.
“This storey building had already been gutted by fire when we were called. And so, we came to fight the fire, and as you can see, the fire is almost over,” he said.
He warned citizens of the state to always put off their electrical appliances after use to avert the occurrence of this kind of incident.
