FCT fire service says carelessness cause of fire at Samsung headquarters

Spokesman for the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, Ibrahim Tauheed has confirmed that no casualty was recorded following a fire outbreak at the headquarters of South Korean electronics giant, Samsung, located in the Wuse 2 area, Abuja.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tauheed said the inferno that gutted the two-storey complex on Monday night was as a result of careless welding activities near a pile of empty and combustible cartons.

According to the service spokesman, the Asokoro Fire Station was the first to arrive at the scene at 7:43 p.m after receiving a distress call from the owner of a spa close to the Samsung building, but explained that the team faced hostility from some hoodlums who started pelting their fire truck with stones.

“So, to ensure the safety of the firefighters and their equipment, the leader of the crew, DSF Ahmed Katsina, directed the driver to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room,” Tahued said.

“Upon the arrival of the Nigeria Police personnel, they fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the unruly crowd allowing firefighters to commence their firefighting efforts, but regrettably, the delay caused the fire to intensify and spread throughout the building.

“Nevertheless, concerted efforts were made to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures and the nearby filling station.”

He added that many people had expected that the fire would spread to other buildings and the nearby filling station, but with the combined efforts of multiple stations and agencies, it did not.

However, reports indicate that despite efforts by the fire fighters, the fire raged for over six hours, from 7:38 p.m. on Monday until 01:37 a.m. on Tuesday before it was finally brought under control and destroyed several equipment and goods in the office.

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