Goods worth millions of naira were in the early hours of Tuesday reduced to ashes as fire gutted the largest supermarket in Ogwashi Uku, headquarters of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The walls of the facility, Sylverson Supermarket situated along the busy old Ogwashi Uku-Benin road which has operated for over 25 years in the premises collapsed as a result of the intensity of the fire.
The owner of the supermarket was said to have slumped on hearing the news of the incident but however rushed to a medical facility where he is believed to be recuperating as at the time of filling in this report.
Tribune Online learnt that firemen from the state fire service in the town were handicapped when distress calls were put to them.
While the engine of their operational truck could not start, the firefighters who later visit the scene could not gain access to the building as the entrance door was under lock and key.
Eyewitness account said the fire started at about 3 am and all efforts made by sympathisers to salvage goods were unsuccessful due to the intensity of the fire.
According to locals in the neighbourhood, attributing the inferno to an electrical fault should be ruled out because the public light went off at about 12 midnight.
“We were awakened by explosions and noise around the supermarket at about 3 am.
“The fire was so intense that it became difficult to salvage anything out from the shop to the point that the walls collapsed; everything inside was burnt completely.
“The issue of suspecting electrical fault can not hold water because the public electricity went off by 12 midnight and the incident happened at 3 am. Again the supermarket doesn’t make use of public light, it relies on its generating sets,” one of the neighbours said.
The Director of fire services in the state, Mr Eugene Oziwele, who later visited the scene said it would be premature to draw a conclusion on the cause of the inferno.
According to him, his men who were handy met a brick wall as they could not enter inside the supermarket because of the iron door that was heavily padlocked.
“I was told the operators make use of generators every day; we at still investigating.”, he said.
Mr Eziwele explained that the explosions noticed were caused by insecticide cans, and perfumes which are highly inflammable.
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Fire guts Ogwashi Uku biggest supermarket, Sylverson
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