The fire reportedly started from solar panels mounted on the roof of one of the buildings before rapidly spreading to adjoining flats, causing extensive damage.
A fire outbreak on Saturday razed four out of five blocks of three-bedroom flats located at No. 13 Nelson Mandela Street in Asokoro, one of Abuja’s highbrow districts.
The fire reportedly started from solar panels mounted on the roof of one of the buildings before rapidly spreading to adjoining flats, causing extensive damage.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Head of Public Affairs of the Federal Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Nkechi Isa, said the affected property is believed to belong to a former governor of Zamfara State and serving senator, Sani Yerima.
Isa, quoting the Head of FEMD’s Search and Rescue Team, Monday Addie, said the incident was reported at about 1pm and that no lives were lost.
“According to the Head of FEMD Search and Rescue Team, Mr Monday Addie, the incident was reported at about 1pm. No life was lost to the incident. However, the four affected flats were totally burned,” the statement read.
She added that the inferno destroyed household items including furniture, clothing, foodstuffs and other personal effects belonging to occupants of the flats.
Emergency responders from multiple agencies were deployed to the scene to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
“Personnel of FEMD, the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency and the FCT Police Command attended to the incident,” Isa said.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the fire had not been officially determined, although preliminary observations indicated that it originated from the solar power installations on the building.
Residents of the area were said to have been thrown into panic as thick smoke billowed from the property, attracting attention from passersby and security operatives.