Five persons have escaped death in a fire explosion occured around 2am in a four-bedroom apartment along Araba Street, Awka, Anambra State, destroying properties worth millions.
Ahmed Idris, an occupant of one of the rooms, while speaking to newsmen on Friday, said he and other victims, from different families were fast asleep when the incident happened, adding that his certificates, laptop and a machine were destroyed by the inferno that defied individual efforts to put out.
He said: “I started hearing explosion in the early hours of the day while I was still asleep. I think the fire was caused by a spark from electrical connections in one of the rooms of the apartment.
“Apart from my mobile phone, all my certificates, laptop and a sophisticated (DI) machine were destroyed in the incident which was difficult for occupants to extinguish.”
Agozie Anakor, a son to the landlord of the building, explained that the inferno was as a result of gas cylinders in the room the fire started from, while adding that the fire would have extended to other nearby buildings if not for efforts by residents.
He solicited help from public-spirited individuals to help cushion the effects of the inferno as properties worth millions of naira were destroyed before help could come.
“Gas cylinders in the room where the incident started helped escalate it, but for individual efforts, the fire would have extended to other buildings around,” he added.