A section of a shop plaza belonging to St. Mary Anglican Church, Ohokobe/Umuahia Ndume Ibeku in Umuahia area of Abia State was gutted by fire on Sunday.
It was gathered that the inferno completely destroyed property including assorted sewing machines, instruments, generators said to belong to a tailor.
Eyewitnesses who pleaded anonymity, speaking to newsmen at the scene in Umuahia, attributed the fire outbreak to electrical surge.
The men of the Abia State Fire Service with their fire fighting vehicles stormed the scene to control the fire outbreak in further not to affect a branch of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), EDDC Electricity high tension and residential houses around the area.
Meanwhile, lamenting the huge loss caused by the fire, the operator of the affected shop, who gave his name as Mr. Suleiman, said the incident has caused him traumatic shock and appealed to the state government and good spirited individuals to come to his aid, as the incident is a setback in his efforts for daily bread and survival.
Suleiman further cried out that the ugly scenario has hit a blow on him as he had nothing to refund or compensate his teaming customers whose clothing materials meant for sewing were destroyed in the inferno.
