A fully loaded lorry has crashed into the premises of St. Matthias Catholic Church, Agulu, along the Agulu Lake–Golden Tulip Hotel Road in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State and caught fire.
Penpushing reports that the incident was reported to have occurred late Wednesday and caused gridlock as motorists slowed down while emergency responders battled to contain the blaze.
The eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Uzor, explained that the lorry was travelling at high speed when it lost control, veered off the road, and rammed into the church fence, triggering the fire.
“The lorry was on high speed and veered off the sloping road, crashing into the church premises and immediately going up in flames. Fortunately, there was no casualty as nobody was around the area at the time,” he said.
Penpushing further reports that the witness added that the incident caused panic in the area, while first responders worked to contain the fire before the arrival of firefighters, while the driver reportedly fled the scene immediately after the crash.
The Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, led by Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed the incident and attributed the accident to speeding and loss of control.
“A fire incident occurred at St. Matthias Catholic Church, Agulu, following a road crash involving a heavy-duty lorry. Preliminary findings indicate that the vehicle lost control, veered off the road, and crashed into the church premises, igniting a fire outbreak’, he said.
Penpushing also reports that Chiketa added that firefighters responded promptly to the distress call and successfully contained the fire, preventing further damage, stressing that the fire was brought under control, and operations at the scene have been concluded.
The Media and Publicity Unit added that in similar development the fire, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, affected both company and residential structures, stating that firefighters from the Ogidi and Okpoko fire stations were deployed to the scene following a distress call received around 1:00 a.m.
“The fire was successfully contained through coordinated efforts, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings. Firefighters remained at the scene until about 5:30 a.m. to ensure complete extinguishment and prevent a recurrence’ he added.
Penpushing reports that Chiketa pointed out that the cause of the factory fire was yet to be determined, adding that investigations were ongoing, and urged residents and business owners to prioritise fire safety and promptly report any fire outbreaks to the nearest fire station.
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