Several shops and stores containing building materials were destroyed after an early morning fire gutted Eda Plaza, a building materials market opposite Chida Hotel in Jabi, Abuja.
The fire, which started at about 3am on Sunday, destroyed goods reportedly worth millions of naira, leaving traders and shop owners counting their losses.
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD), in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, confirmed that several shops and stores were affected.
The Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service responded to the incident and brought the fire under control at about 10:14am.
FEMD said no life was lost in the incident.
An eyewitness said the alarm was raised around 3am after his brother-in-law, who operates two shops and a packing store at the plaza, received a distress call from a colleague.
“We were at home this morning, as early as 3am, and my brother-in-law received a call from one of his colleagues here in the plaza that the plaza was on fire. So we had to rush down there. On getting here, we discovered that the situation was so bad,” he said.
According to him, only one of his brother-in-law’s two shops was salvaged, while the other shop and the packing store were completely destroyed.
He estimated the value of roofing materials lost at more than N20 million, adding that some of the goods had been restocked shortly before the fire.
“Over here, you see some of the roofs that we still have here. We are talking about a roof that is worth over N20 million lost in this fire,” he said.
The National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the Federal Fire Service, Deputy Controller of Fire Paul Abraham, said the agency received a distress call about the fire at 2:46am.
Abraham said the Federal Fire Service, working with the FCT Fire Service, deployed firefighting appliances from its Wuse, Interior Ministry and Garki stations to the scene.
He said a stop message was issued at 10:14am, indicating that the fire had been brought under control.
“The remote and immediate causes of the fire are currently under investigation,” Abraham said.
FEMD, however, said the cause of the fire had not been officially established as of the time of its statement.
The department called for adequate fire extinguishers and firefighting equipment in markets and malls across the FCT, as well as proper electrical installations and regular safety inspections.
It also advised residents to evacuate buildings immediately when a fire occurs and avoid obstructing firefighters during emergency operations.
FEMD urged residents to dial 112 for emergency assistance.
Despite the extent of the damage, the eyewitness said traders were grateful that no life was lost.
“In our situation, we give thanks to God that no life was lost,” he said.
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