By Alex Enebeli
Victims of the fire incident that occurred on Dec. 24 at Iva Valley, Enugu North Local Government Area, are calling on members of the public for help.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the scene on Dec. 27, reports that the fire gutted over 10 houses in a suburb neighbourhood of Vally road I, Iva Valley, few hours before Christmas, making 10 families to seek shelter at nearby houses.
The fire also rendered occupants of the affected buildings homeless and they are currently wondering about waiting for when help will come their way.
Some of the victims who spoke to newsmen on Tuesday said the blaze started around 11:15 p.m. on Saturday and all efforts to put the inferno under control proved abortive.
They also said that they had been passing nights in their friends and neighbours houses since the incident.
One of the victims, Mr Afam Ogbu, who confirmed the incident, said he came back from service Saturday night and noticed that something was smelling in one of the rooms and asked the son to check what was wrong.
He added that while trying to find out what the problem was, he saw fire everywhere which overwhelmed them and engulfed the entire house
According to him, all their belongings, including the little money he saved to buy something for his family for Christmas were burnt, while miscreants made things worse by looting some during the fire.
Ogbu, while explaining that no life was lost in the incident, appealed to relevant government authorities, wealthy citizens to come to their aid as they had been sleeping from one house to another.
He said the entire property was lost to the fire before the fire service could come to their rescue.
Another victim, Mr. Anthony Ogbu, Catechist of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Parish, Iva Vally, Enugu, said he lost all his belongings to the fire.
“I’m dumbfounded, I don’t know what to say, because that very day the incident happened, I just came back from the church, removed my cloth because I was very hungry.
“Looking for a place to get something to eat, people were shouting, so when I ran out and came closer to my place, I saw that the fire has circulated everywhere.
“There is no way I could enter my house, everything in my house was burnt,” he said.
Narrating her ordeal, Miss Florence Ikeoluwapo, said she had been squatting with her friend since then and had not taken her bath.
Mrs Cecilia Akubuihe, who had lived in the area for over 20 years, said she returned from the market and went to shower only to be called to leave the room that fire was everywhere. (NAN)
