How 5 children were rescued in Nnewi fire disaster

Five children belonging to the same family were miraculously rescued in an Nnewi early morning fire outbreak which gutted a three-storey building in the industrial town and everything in the building was completely razed down.

The inferno which occurred at number 24 Ogbufo Road, Uruagu, Nnewi near Nkwo Nnewi market was said to have started around 9:00am and was caused by gas cylinder explosion while children of one of the occupants at the last floor were allegedly cooking.

 An eye witness said when the fire began, an okada operator saw small smoke emitting from the flat and raised the alarm. The source explained that before help could come, the gas cylinder had exploded and the entire apartment was already burning. It was gathered that five children who were cooking with the gas were rescued from the scene as traders and other sympathizers mobilized to put out the fire.

National Women Leader of Ohaneze Ndigbo and ex- council chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Mrs Adimachukwu Calista Mmilioma who witnessed the incident said she had to call the council chairman of Nnewi North, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (jnr) and also office of the State Governor Chief Willie Obiano for them to help alart men of the fire service for quick response.

 She said the fire fighters eventually arrived but complained that there was no water in their tanks and that they had a bad propeller  which necessitated the sympathizers to seek the help of  water tanker drivers to battle the raging fire.

She commended the efforts of the traders who she said quickly mobilized to rescue the situation. She wondered why the fire fighters would always complain of one thing or the other whenever they were called  to battle fire outbreak, saying that they should always be battle-ready.

 She also expressed satisfaction with the response of the police and the local vigilante who she said were handy during the inferno.

  A trader, Mr John Chukwu who was also at the scene of the fire accident however urged relevant government agencies to ensure that there is a functional fire service station in the town noting that the fire would have spread to the market if not for the spirited effort put up by sympathizers and traders to checkmate the rampaging inferno.