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Property worth millions lost as fire razes shops, apartment in Calabar

Four shops and a residential apartment on William George Street, off Edgerly in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River state have been razed down by fire.

Although no fatalities were reportedly recorded, the owners of the shops recorded huge loss of properties worth millions of naira as residents of the area battled to contain the fire.

Between July 2024 and January 2025, the Local Government Area has witnessed 49 fire incidents, which are not unconnected with the crowded nature of the area and the growth of shanties.

The Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State on Special Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, during an assessment of the damage, said cases of fire incidents were becoming too much in the area.

Akiba reiterated that the State Government was gathering data of the damage to enable it offer the necessary assistance to the victims of the incident.

“It is another wake-up call on the part of the authorities to step up publicity on precautionary measures to prevent future recurrence.

“We have discovered that many people built without specification which is against the master plan of the state over the years.

“Even the state Fire Service has been in a state of comatose with dilapidated facilities and operational vehicles,” he said.

According to him, the governor was trying to renovate the premises of the fire service as well as its operational vehicles, while also collaborating with other agencies for effective service delivery.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Antigha Gil, explained that the incident was unfortunate, promising to carry out an assessment of the damage and transmit it to the state government.

He also warned residents of the state to endeavour to put off their appliances when they were going out, noting that erratic power supply could cause a spark at any point.

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