NDU Fire: Residents, Shop Owners Count Their Losses As Community Decries Lacks Fire Service

Residents and shop owners are counting their losses at Amassoma, the Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa State following an outbreak of fire on Friday evening.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out from one of the shops located close to the NDU main gate and spread to other stretches of shops consuming goods and other valuables belonging to the victims.

Hundreds of residents, who besieged the scene were helpless because of the unavailability of firefighters.

READ: Fire Engulfs Part of Kara Market Along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The University located in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area had no fire bay and no firefighting equipment and personnel in the entire community. The only state fire service is located in Yenagoa, the state capital, which takes a journey of over an hour to get to the community.

A student of NDU, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Nation, said it was not the first time a section of the community was gutted by fire.

“The last time it was a section of the market before a firefighting truck arrived the community from Yenagoa, the entire area had been razed.

“We don’t have a fire service in the university and the entire community and it will take over an hour for a firefighting truck to get to Amassoma from Yenagoa”, she said.

Faith Joe, a final year student of Accounting also said her project work, which she took to one of the shops for binding was destroyed by the fire.

“I have spent a lot on this project but the fire destroyed everything”, she cried.

According to her, the fire incident started from a heap of refuse set ablaze by some residents.

The residents battled the fire and brought it under control after it had destroyed many shops.

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