A serious fire outbreak has caused serious damage in Bayelsa State.
The fire destroyed property worth millions of naira at a mini estate accommodating flood victims on Otiotio Road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Friday.
It was gathered that the fire emanated from the fuel stored in the estate by black marketers. There was fuel scarcity in Bayelsa due to the flood that cut off access roads to the state for weeks.
At the peak of flooding a few weeks ago, fuel was sold at N800 a litre, and had since been reduced to N500 as the flood water receded.
It was learnt that a resident suffered burns but no life was lost.
Property destroyed by the inferno included mattresses, generating sets, electronics, clothes, cash, cellphones, vital documents, kitchen utensils among others.
According to Daily Trust, eyewitnesses and victims said the disaster might have been caused by a certain Nigerien who allegedly stocked black market fuel in one of the apartments where he resides.
One of the victims, who identified herself as Mercy Clifford from Angiama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, recounted that she heard a sound like an explosion from the apartment of her neighbour who was cooking with a stove.
She said the fire escalated and razed over 10 makeshift houses.
She said: “All my property, my secondary, primary school and church certificates, everything is gone. One of our neighbours was cooking with a stove and fire came from the stove and entered everywhere.”
She appealed to the government and well-meaning individuals to come to their aid, explaining that some of the victims, including her were flood victims who live in the estate to seek temporary refuge.
Another resident of the area, Hamza Abdullahi, narrated that he lost his money and other valuables to the incident.
Similarly, a victim, simply identified as Kingsley from Edo state, said the fire had dealt him a very big blow after havoc wreaked by flood.
Also, a courier agent, Allex Ada, said he left home as early as 7am only to be called on the phone that his apartment was on fire, lamenting that he returned to see the debris of his property.
Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, SP Asinim Butswat, said the incident was not reported to the police.