Residents wept profusely after a fire outbreak razed down their apartment at Specialist Quarters in the new Kutunku area of Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It was gathered that the fire incident which occurred on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, around 7:37 am, left a trail of destruction, rendering several families homeless.
Efforts to contain the fire proved abortive as it quickly spread to other apartments and properties.
Families of the affected homes couldn’t control their grief.
One of the residents identified as Mrs Gloria burst into tears after returning home to find her apartment completely razed.
One of her neighbours, Mrs Rebecca Musa, who spoke to Daily Trust, said the incident happened after Gloria had taken her children to school.
The woman said she immediately raised an alarm but most of the neighbours had already left for work.
Mrs Musa said she had to rush out of the compound to call some people, including passersby but that the entire apartment had already been razed before help could come.
“The woman just left home and took her children to school when the fire broke. Unfortunately, before neighbours could come to assist, the fire had already razed down her apartment,” she narrated.
She said the woman started crying when she returned from school and saw what happened.
Another neighbour identified as Gabriel said he suspected that the fire outbreak might have been caused by an electrical fault, adding that the fire spread rapidly to eight other apartments.
“You know the quarters and buildings were attached to each other, but that of the woman is the most affected because the fire started from her apartment which was occupied mostly by tenants,” he said.
“In fact, the woman and her family members are now stranded. All her valuables were razed in the inferno.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Muhammad Saba has expressed deep sympathy to all those affected by the house.
He called on the community to support those affected and also appealed to well-meaning individuals and relevant authorities to provide necessary assistance.
