By Kelvin Ololo
A fire outbreak on Sunday gutted several shops at the Goldie area along Bassey Duke Street in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, destroying goods and properties worth millions of Naira.
The cause of the fire is not ascertained as of the time of filing this report. Eyewitnesses said the inferno broke out suddenly and spread rapidly through the cluster of shops, forcing residents and traders to mobilize in a desperate effort to contain the flames.
According to residents, it took nearly two hours for the Cross River State Fire Service to arrive at the scene. By that time, much of the fire had reportedly been brought under control by members of the community using improvised means.
Tension, however, escalated on the arrival of the fire service, as some youths allegedly chased firefighters away with stones and water, preventing them from making any attempt to intervene. The reason for the confrontation could not be independently verified, but eyewitnesses linked it to anger over the delayed response.
No official statement had been issued by the Cross River State Fire Service or the state government at the time of this report, and there was no immediate confirmation of casualties.