An inferno yesterday engulfed Anokwurundu Estate Owerri, Imo State destroying property worth millions of naira.
Residents whose property were destroyed by the fire outbreak included, Chief MacDonald Amadi, ex-Chief press secretary to former Deputy Governor of the state, Engineer Ebere Udeagu.
Others are Dr. Ajonuma of Federal Medical centre (FMC) Owerri, Assistant commissioner of police, Chief Celestine Ogbonna (rtd).
Chief Amadi in an interview with Nigeria Newspoint stated that he received a distress call at about 2:20 pm urging him to call on the fire service to the rescue of his Duplex C apartment at the Anokwurundu Estate.
According to Chief Amadi, he did not waste anytime but headed towards the fire station only to be told that there was no fire fighting vehicle at the station except the one at the Government House Owerri.
Chief Amadi said, Contacts were established at the Government House which led to the release of a fire fighting vehicle to combat the inferno, but according to Chief Amadi, before the arrival of the fire fighting vehicles.
Duplex A, occupied by Dr Ajonuma of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, from where the fire was reported to have emanated had already been reduced to ashes.
Duplex B, occupied by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chief Celestine Ogbonna (Rtd) had also received its own baptism of fire as nothing was left unburnt in the apartment.
Continuing, chief MacDonald Amadi likened the inferno at his residence to the Dana Air Crash where it was also reported that there was no effective fire fighting vehicles standing by in case of emergency.
Chief Amadi called on the state government to expediciously extend the rescue mission agenda to the fire station department to avert further loss of property and lives to inferno.
Another victim of the fire incident at Anokwurundu Estate, Chief Celestine Ogbonna also spoke to Nigeria Newspoint, he said that he has been devastated by the fire incident as he is left with the dress on him only, and no other thing was saved in his apartment
He said that as at the time of his arrival to his residence, fire had unleashed havoc, and could not even recognise his own apartment as smoke and fire had overtaken the scenario.
Chief Ogbonna blamed the fire Service for the mishap positing that if they had arrived on time to the venue which he described as not more than half a kilometer from the fire station, Owerri.
The third victim, Dr. Mrs. Ajonuma a lecturer with Imo State University, Owerri (IMSU) was indisposed to speak to the press as she was apparently traumatized following the report that the fire incident took its root from her apartment.
Some of the eye witness account who spoke in anonymity said the fire fighting vehicle arrived late after several efforts made to reach them failed.
Another eye witness who also spoke on anonymity blamed the state Government for been insensitive to the cries of its citizen who have severally complained of non effective fire fighting equipment at the fire station, Owerri.
