Fire guts 12 classroom blocks in Anambra school

A total of twelve classroom blocks have been razed down in Community Secondary School, Ebenebe, Awka North local government area of Anambra state following a mid-day fire in the area.

The school, serving four communities in the council area as well as some neighbouring communities in Enugu state, was said to have been reduced to ashes as a result of bush burning.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the fire started around 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon and raged on into the night.

The Youth chairman of Uwani village, Ebenebe, Mr Ndubuisi Chiwuba, who described the incident as shocking and devastating, blamed the incident to lack of management, saying the school was surrounded by bushes.

Appreciating God that no life was lost to the inferno, Chiwuba regretted that the school was faced with numerous challenges, including lack of security and absence of perimeter fencing, resulting to the theft of the sound proof power generating set installed by the state government.

A teacher in the school, Mrs Edith Modebe, thanked God that the students were still on holidays, but regretted the impact of the inferno on the school’s resumption as a number of textbooks; exercise books and students lockers were lost to the inferno.

She appealed to the state government and well-meaning individuals to come to their aid.

Reacting, the team leader, State Fire Service, Ikechukwu Ibe, who responded swiftly on getting the news of the incident, reminded residents of the state of the need to be cautious during this harmattan season.

He enjoined residents to clean up their environment by cutting down grasses around their buildings.