Inferno Gut Multi-Billion Naira Shopping Mall In Benin

Two weeks to the celebration of Christmas, a popular multi billion naira shopping mall, Hallmark Super Market located along the ever busy Sapale Road, Benin City, the Edo State capital was completely razed down in an early morning inferno which gutted the magnificent building to ashes.

The shopping mall is reputed for its rich, high quality and assorted goods was said to have went up in flames at about3:00am yesterday following a sudden power surge from the third floor of the imposing building.

As at 8:00 am Sunday morning LEADERSHIP visited the complex, thousands of sympathizers, friends and associates of the owner had besieged the area to console the management over the huge sudden loss.

Teams of fire fighting services from various stations and organizations on rescue mission battled relentlessly to put off the raging tongues of fire even as thick smoke emitted from the entire complex.

A fire fighting truck from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) later arrived at 8:45am to assist the various teams as water finished from their supplies.

It was learnt that the fire started from the third floor following power surge from an inverter in one of the rooms, moments after power was restored to the area and the explosion spread from the top to the down floor.

Although, no life was lost during the early morning inferno but goods and cash worth several billions of naira were destroyed in the process.

Investigations revealed that the management and staff of the super market had brought and offloaded truck loads of assorted goods on Saturdaybefore the unfortunate occurrence, less than 24 hours yesterday morning.

There was heavy presence of armed mobile and regular policemen deployed to the

scene to prevent looters from the area as alerted rescuers and staff struggled to save some goods in the heat of the incident.

Meanwhile Governor Godwin Obaseki who  paid an on the spot inspection to the mall also said investigation would be conducted into the activities of the state fire service.

Obaseki who was express shocked at the damage done to the mall described the damaged as catastrophic and a major disaster.

Further findings showed that fire service men arrived late after much damage had been done at the troubled spot due to failed equipment from the state outfit and delayed instruction and approval from authorities of sister agencies out to salvage the complex from the unfortunate occurrence.

But the state director of Fire Services, Mr. Agbonlahor Franklin told newsmen that he was alerted about the fire outbreak on the supermarket by an undisclosed staff from the state fire service and the General manager of Kada Fries Kitchen, an eatery, belonging to the popular business magnate Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, which shares a common fence with the burnt super market, from where he mobilized men of his station and others to the area for necessary action.

 Earlier the Managing Director of the Super Mart Mr Philip Edigin said that the fire started at about 12 mid night. He disclosed that all effort to get the State fire service to come to their rescue proved abortive as the fire service told him they have no diesel to work.

He said he was later able to get help from the Nigeria Air force fire service, IDSL NPDC and UNIBEN, before the State fire service came at about 6am.

Meanwhile a supervisor in the State Fire Service Mr Franklin Agbonlahor appealed to government for urgent upgrade of facilities and equipment of the fire service station.