A fire outbreak has razed parts of the SPAR shopping mall in Calabar, Cross River State, destroying property belonging to traders and shoppers.
The fire reportedly started in the early hours of Saturday, with firefighters deployed to the premises as people rushed to evacuate their belongings from the mall.
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A content creator, “Dr Laff,” who shared a video of the incident on Facebook, said millions of naira worth of properties had been destroyed in the fire.
“As I speak right now, millions of properties have been damaged,” Dr Laff said in the video.
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The video showed people moving cartons and other belongings out of the mall, while firefighters battled the blaze.
In another video posted on Facebook, fire is seen razing the mall, sending thick plumes billowing up into the sky.
Properties evacuated as fire rages
Security personnel and firefighters cordoned off the mall as people were seen in large numbers carrying their belongings out of the premises.
A fire service truck was at the scene, with firefighters directing equipment into the affected sections of the mall.
At some points in the video, flames could be seen raging inside the shops, while people wailed over the destruction.
One woman was seen placing both hands on her head, apparently distressed by the incident.
“I feel very terrible myself because this is a major shopping mall we have in Cross River State,” Dr Laff said in the video.
He added: “Look at these shops, all the properties are burnt down. This is really sad.”
An man dressed in military uniform was also seen at the scene as security agents and firefighters struggled to contain the situation.
Police suspect electrical fault
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, said the police received reports of the incident and that a possible electrical fault was suspected as the cause.
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“From the report reaching me, the incident started in the early hours of this morning with a lot of properties belonging to people at the SPAR Mall catching fire. Possible cause of the fire points to an electrical fault,” Mr Eitokpah said in a message sent to PREMIUM TIMES.
He said there were no reported casualties as of the time of his response.
“For now, no casualties; we are trying our best to stop possible looters from looting items belonging to other people,” the police spokesman said.
He added that further information would be provided as developments unfold.
The extent of the damage and the value of properties destroyed could not be independently ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
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