Fire destroys goods, property worth millions in Bayelsa
Fire destroyed property and goods worth millions of naira in the Amarata community of the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Saturday, but no life was lost.
Witnesses said the fire was caused by a spark in a diesel-laden vehicle parked near a fuel station.
Bayelsa Fire Service and the police confirmed the cause of the incident.
Police spokesman, ASP Musa Muhammed, said it was an electric spark that caused the vehicle to go up in flames, which spread to nearby buildings.
Victims and witnesses said the fire that trailed the diesel from the burning vehicle also burnt down part of the fuel station, some buildings and shops in the area.
A victim, Ebiomo Queen, who runs a mini-supermarket in the area, said goods and money inside her shop worth about N20 million were burnt.
“I cannot even value the goods that have burnt in my shop; the source of my livelihood has been burnt down, over N20 million gone.
“I own a mini-supermarket here; I do not live nearby; I would have been able to remove some goods from the shop.
“This is too much for me. I plead with the state government to come to our rescue so we can return to normal life,’’ she said.
Another victim, Theophilus Otti, said security personnel from another fuel station raised the alarm, but his property was already in flames.
“We saw the fire coming from a section of the fuel station, but as we were trying to block the fire, the vehicle that was packed nearby exploded, and we could no longer contain the fire,’’ he said.
Yet another victim, Chinyere Eze, said he could not remove anything from his house since his attention was on saving the lives of his family members and those of neighbours.
“When the fire started, I tried to jump into the house to pick things, but I could not pick anything.
“As we speak, it is only this cloth that I am wearing that is left for me; everything has been burnt down,’’ he said.
Other victims who lamented their losses called on the state government and public-spirited individuals to assist them to start life all over.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Showbiz
Rema releases teaser for ‘TEA’
Ace Nigerian Afrobeat star, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has released a teaser for his forthcoming single, ‘TEA’, scheduled for release on Friday.
Showbiz
Tempoe earns Spotify billion streams plaque for love Nwantiti
Tempoe, born and raised in Lagos, has produced several commercially successful Afrobeats records with international recognition.
World
Bangladesh marks July uprising anniversary, reaffirms commitment to democratic values
Bangladesh High Commission in Abuja marked the second anniversary of the ‘July Uprising’, honouring martyrs and reaffirming democracy, justice, equality and human dignity.
World
WHO inaugurates global research priorities on climate, migration
WHO has inaugurated the global research prioritising action plan on health, migration and displacement.
Africa
UN warns Nigeria, others ISIS threat remains acute in Sahel, Lake Chad Basin
The United Nations has warned that the Islamic State terrorist group remains a serious threat in Africa, especially in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin and parts of Central Africa.
Economy
AIICO grows second quarter profit by 18.9%, retains composite licence
AIICO posted an 18.9 per cent increase in profit after tax to N13.4 billion for the second quarter of 2026, from N11.3 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
