BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Three persons have died after a fire broke out at a hotel in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Southern Nigeria.
It was gathered that the manager of the hotel, known as Cibeles Luxury Hotel, located at 9, Emoavwodua Street, off Limit Road, off Sapele Road, Benin City, made a distress call to the police who immediately contacted the state fire service which prevented the blaze from spreading.
The victims were said to have been evacuated to the hospitals where they were confirmed dead.
Alltimepost.com Correspondent learnt that the three victims – two males and a female who were guests at the hotel were sleeping in their rooms when the blaze occurred about 4a.m, Sunday, June 23, 2024.
They were said to have been suffocated by a dense smoke which billowed from its source inside a room in the first floor of the three-storey building hotel, swirled to their rooms upstairs where it rendered them unconscious.
The unfortunate incident triggered pandemonium as other guests trapped inside the raging smoke struggled to escape.
Our reporter’s visit to the scene, revealed a deserted hotel under lock and keys.
The fire was said to have started from an air conditioner in one of the rooms in the first floor as the attendant smoke spread to other parts of the hotel while the occupants were asleep.
Investigation revealed that the damage noticed in some glass windows in the hotel occurred while the distressed guests were trying to escape and during rescue operation.
It could not be ascertained whether the hotel has functional fire and smoke alarm system and other safety measures in place to avert such tragedy.
Some residents of the street who described the incident as sad said the occupants of the hotel were taken unaware by the fire.
“I leave nearby, the hotel is air-tight because guests want value for their money so they emphasize air-conditioning of their rooms always. Yes they have fire extinguishers everywhere in the hotel, from my observation inside the hotel that day, my brother, safety standards were compromised. Government should enforce safety regulations instead of allowing iron bars commonly known as burglar proof at possible emergency exits in buildings.
“I was awake that time but wasn’t aware of the crisis inside the hotel until police from New Etete division came followed by firefighters from Edo State Fire Service. The fire affected just a room in the hotel, it was smoke that killed the three people,” Samuel Ayo stated.
It was scooped that the casualty figures would have been minimized if rescue was prompt as those who escaped from being trapped, hurried to remove their cars from the hotel parking lot instead of helping the victims out of danger.
Family source told Alltimepost.com that when they arrived at Stella Obasanjo Hospital, one of the victims, Cynthia Ogiugo’s lifeless body was on the back seat of a car in the premises of the hospital and that it was in their presence that her corpse was taken to the morgue.
Alltimepost.com also learnt that the management of the hotel in taking responsibility for the tragedy reached an agreement with the family for full burial expenses, including gifting the permanent landed property for Cynthia’s final resting place.
Efforts to obtain comments from the management of the hotel remained unsuccessful as at press time.
The Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the hotel blaze.
“The DPO contacted the Edo State Fire Service, they came and extinguished the fire, three persons were unconscious as a result of the suffocation from the smoke of the fire. They were immediately rushed to Edo State Specialist, Sapele road, Benin City and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where one Bright Amechi and Michael Awowe, were confirmed dead.
“While at Edo State Specialist Hospital, one Cynthia Oguigo was confirmed dead. The bodies were conveyed to Stella Obasanjo Hospital mortuary in Benin City.
“The statement of the supervisor on duty as at the time of incident one Emmanuel Ogunyemi pointed at the lodger of one of the rooms at first floor, Madrid where the fire outbreak occurred.
“The lodger of the said room one Andrew Roberts of Sapele road, Benin City was contacted and his statement taken. He said in his statement that the fire was caused by electrical fault from the air conditional in his room.
“According to the DPO, some persons have been arrested, investigation will unravel their culpability or innocence”, the police spokesman said.
