A midnight fire outbreak on Friday destroyed a bungalow at No. 4 Ezeugo Nnadi Street, Anyadike Avenue (formerly Sunny Bobo Avenue) in Amakohia, Owerri West LGA, Imo State, leaving seven tenants and their families homeless.
The fire, which started around 2:30 am and lasted over three hours, consumed household items worth millions of naira, including gas cylinders, furniture, clothing, and kitchen appliances.
Tenant Accounts and Landlord’s Reaction
One of the tenants, Mrs. Phina Tunankwe, a mother of three, lamented losing all her belongings. “Everything we had got burnt. The fire was so intense that we couldn’t recover anything,” she said.
Another tenant, Miss Ozim Chidimma Mercy, who first noticed the fire, explained that it began in a room where the landlord stored some of his belongings.
Despite her alarm and tenants’ efforts to contain the flames, the inferno quickly engulfed the entire building.
The landlord, Mr. Kingsley Okoronkwo, revealed that he was informed of the fire at 2:30 am by a tenant. By the time he arrived, the house and all the tenants’ possessions were completely destroyed.
While expressing relief that no lives were lost, Okoronkwo criticized the late arrival of fire service officials, who reportedly arrived two hours after being alerted.
Cause of the Fire
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but tenants ruled out electrical faults as there was no power supply at the time.
Call for Assistance
The affected families, including a pregnant woman, are now stranded and homeless. They appealed to the government and well-meaning individuals for immediate assistance to secure shelter and recover from the traumatic incident.
Damage Assessment
An on-site assessment revealed that all seven rooms, the kitchen, and conveniences in the building were completely destroyed. Every household item, including generator sets, gas cylinders, food items, and upholstery chairs, was reduced to ashes.
The incident has heightened concerns over fire safety in the area, with residents calling for proactive measures to prevent similar occurrences.
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