16th January, 2016
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
There was pandemonium at the popular Shoprite at the Delta Mall complex in Effurun in Uvwie Local Government area of Delta State and a suburb of Warri metropolis as thousands of shoppers were hurriedly evacuated Saturday due to fire scare.
The cause of the fire that led to the scare was not known immediately. But eyewitnesses said that the fire broke out at noon from one of the conveniences.
The fire scare happened a few days after armed youths invaded and looted some shops in the mall, which is located at the popular Effurun roundabout.
According to an eyewitness who was also a shopper, “we were moving about from shop to shop when pandemonium broke out. When we asked what was happening, we were told that there was fire. Everybody ran outside and it was while we were there that we heard that the fire started from the toilet.”
The quick response from firefighters from Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, successfully put out the fire after a spirited battle that lasted for about an hour.
Most of the traumatized shoppers were scared to return even after fire was put out.
The cheery news was that there was no casualty. However, the extent of damage and estimated cost of items destroyed were not immediately known.
Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, could not react to the incident at press time because she said she was yet to be briefed by the police in Effurun.