A fire outbreak at Industrial Market Zone B, Enugu Motor Spare Parts Coal camp has claimed the life of a gallant firefighter.

The president Enugu Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association Coal Camp, Mr Mike Nome who stated this at the scene of the incident, told newsmen that properties worth billions of naira were destroyed.

Speaking to our correspondent, Nome said “Some minutes after 1:00am on Wednesday December 13, 2023, a security man in the market called to inform me about the outbreak which I immediately notified Enugu state Fire command, actually, they came within 15 minutes with 3 trucks and they did their best.

20 shops were damaged housing goods owned by about 40 dealers at the industrial market Zone B, Enugu Motor Spare Parts, Coal camp. One of the staff of the fire service command, Engr. Chigozie Ugwu, he was choked by the smoke and by the time we took him to Park lane teaching hospital, he was confirmed dead on arrival, this is more than a disaster.”

Mike Nome continued “I want government to throw some support to these people because it’s not easy at all to coupe with this kind of situation. Their means of livelihood is now hopeless. If government can give them support to start life afresh, it will be better.”

Responding to the question on what could have caused the inferno, Mike Nome lamented “we are suspecting that what caused this is electrical wire bridges, we could not break the iron galvanized protector, trying to get into the first shop it started so when the heat was so much, a gas cylinder inside there exploded and the fire became something else, we could not control it by mere efforts. End of quote.

He regretted the loss of live that occurred as a result of fighting a fire but commended the unreserved efforts of the firefighting team at the scene.

Some traders and dealers whose shops were caught up with the inferno counted losses to include hope and future.

One of them, Ndu Calistus, said “I cannot cost the damage but it’s in billions, I deal on fancy parts, Jacks, wheel cover, foot mat, I pray the government to come and help us because the loss is too much, I have one shop though filled with expensive motor parts.

Another dealer, Mr Leonard Afam in a look of dismay noted that he had lost everything in one of his shops. “I have two shops but one is safe, I have lost lots of things especially money, I am a dealer on new parts, jack oil and other rubber used in a car like foot mats etc.

Also, Mr Gideon Chika Anyaehie who recalled where he started regretted the fire outbreak that occurred at the peak of this year’s Christmas season.

He recounted the quantities of Kick starters and Alternator for caterpillar and trailers which he had lost to the inferno as his three shops were consumed by the fire.

When contacted on the alleged death of a fire fighter as a result of the incident, the Chief fire Officer Enugu, Engr. Okwudili Ohaa confirmed it. He said “I was called around 10 minutes after 12 am on Wednesday December 13, 2023, when I called my office they told me they were already on their way to that place, when I continued receiving calls that the fire was too much I had to send Four Firefighting Trucks, that’s why we were able to curtail the fire to that level we did and from our calculation it was not up to 40 as being circulated at the social media. Some people are writing 40, where did they get 40 shops consumed in the inferno.

“So after fighting the fire, Engr. Chigozie Ugwu who is a senior firefighting officer, collapsed, and we rushed him to Park lane teaching hospital but unfortunately when we got there the doctors confirmed him dead, it was on that note that I started hearing that he was on medication, that guy is a good soldier, he died at his duty post, he does not take excuse unnecessarily, he is the leader of the group that went for the fire outbreak, he always like to lead by example, he is always the one fighting fire and the junior officers would want him to direct them but he would say no, we have lost a gallant and hardworking fire fighter. Engr. Chigozie Ugwu, we cannot question God.”

Our correspondent reported that as at 1700hrs, there was still smokes there even as many sympathizers were seen with feelings of sadness and grieve.