Victims Of Enugu Coal Camp Fire Blame Bad Roads For Ordeal, Beg For Help

A fire outbreak at the Agric Quarters axis of Coal Camp, Enugu on Monday destroyed goods and property worth millions of naira.

The fire started from an electric pole suspected to have been wrongly connected.

Men of the Enugu State Fire Service were on hand, but their efforts were thwarted by the inaccessibility of the affected areas due to bad roads, as shops and residences were affected.

Some of the victims who recounted their ordeals to THE WHISTLER said they each lost property worth between N700,000 to N5 million.

Chairman of the residents of the area, Nnamdi Oloko, said firefighter would have been able to prevent the inferno if the access roads were motorable.

“We appeal to the state government to fix our roads. If the roads are okay, men of the

state fire service would have saved the situation. It is a clarion call on the state and the local governments to be more proactive in infrastructural development,” he said.

A victim, Ejike Ugwuanyi, said, “I sell foodstuffs and drinks. Everything was lost. My deep freeze, TV and generator were all burnt. I beg Gov. Ugwuanyi to help us. I lost all I have today. I lost over N5m. My goods just arrived from Onitsha today.”

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Some of the victims whose shops and residences were destroyed include Raphael Attah, Emmanuel Chikere, Maduabuchi Nkwoegu, Amechi Ode, Josephine Ogbodo, Ifeyinwa Obeagu, Chizobam Ugwu and Ejike Ugwuanyi,

Fire outbreaks have been a recurring event in Enugu metropolis despite the state’s fire service’s efforts at sensitizing the populace on measures to avert outbreak.

Recall that THE WHISTLER on Monday reported the razing of popular Enugu ‘joint’ New Berries Park by fire.

Also, men of the state fire service about two weeks ago put out a fire outbreak at the popular

Ogbete Main Market that would have destroyed goods worth billions of naira.