Goods, properties worth millions of naira destroyed, as fire razes Warri suburb

Goods and properties worth millions of naira, including 15 speed boats have been destroyed as fire razed houses and shops at popular NPA Miller Waterside, Panapina in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.

The incident happened late hours of Sunday, December 19, 2021.

Residents told our correspondent, who visited the scene of the incident, that the fire started around 11:00 pm from a nearby filling station on Sunday when shopowners had locked up and relocated homes.

Although the actual cause of the inferno is still unknown, some affected residents believed a butt of a cigarette carelessly thrown away near the gas station could have started the fire.

However, our correspondent gathered that much damage had already been done to the area before firefighters could arrive at the scene.

One of the residents, simply identified as Mine, narrated that they heard an explosion around 11:00 pm and before they could rush out, the fire had engulfed the entire area.

A shop owner who is also among those worst hit by the inferno, Mrs Ada Ejiogu, told our correspondent that goods she just bought for the Yuletide worth N6 million and eight deep refrigerators were destroyed in her shop.

Chairman of the Boat Owners Union at Miller Jetty, Mr Stillbert, described the incident as unfortunate and devastating while pleading with the Delta State government to do everything within its power to assist the victims.

Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Dr Michael Tidi, has appealed to residents to be extra cautious this dry season to avoid reoccurrence.

He made the appeal while speaking to newsmen after accessing the level of damage caused by the fire disaster.

He said investigations were ongoing to unravel the cause of the fire incident.

While lamenting that a lot of property were destroyed in the inferno, Tidi, however, thanked God that no life was lost in the inferno, just as he sympathized with the victims of the fire accident, saying the council was working with various stakeholders to forestall a recurrence.

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