From BEATRICE GONDYI, Bauchi
Tragedy struck as some students of the Bauchi Federal Polytechnic, and some Journalists residing around the students’ area’s lodge were razed by an afternoon fire in Gwallameji students village on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started around 1:30 pm in one of the rooms at Tinubu Lodge before spreading to other rooms.
Occupants and sympathizers tried everything possible to put out the fire but failed.
One of the affected journalists who work with The Nations Newspaper, David Adenuga narrated his ordeal with tears in his eyes.
”It was like a dream, I could not believe that everything in my room has gone, I lost all my belongings to the fire.
“There was no power supply at that time, we still don’t know the source of the fire. The fire affected nine rooms. It took the efforts of the fire service to put out the fire that already escalated to other blocks”.
A female student who was also affected by the fire said that all her certificates and other valuables were burnt to ashes.
”I don’t know where to start, nor what to do, I don’t have anywhere to go. I’m only left with the cloth on my back,” she sobbed.
Another victim, who is also a journalist, Saheed Ola, a reporter with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that his gadgets and other valuables went with the fire.
He said: ”I thank God for my life that it didn’t happen at night. It happened like a joke, many things have gone which I can’t settle down to mention right now”.
An eyewitness said that the cooking gas also contributed to the escalation of the fire, saying that most of the rooms contained gas cylinders which exploded.
It took the prompt intervention of the men of the Federal Polytechnic and ATBU Fire Services to curtail the spread of the fire, so no life was lost.
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