Panic broke out at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Awka, Anambra State, after a fire engulfed part of the building housing the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) and an adjoining store.
The fire reportedly started at about 3pm on Tuesday, sending workers and other occupants of the complex rushing to safety as thick smoke spread through the affected section.
An eyewitness and staff member of the National Orientation Agency, Anthony Obiorah, said workers were inside their offices when a staff member on the second floor raised the alarm after noticing the fire.
According to him, emergency services were immediately contacted as staff members attempted to move away from the affected area.
Two offices belonging to the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria were reportedly affected by the fire. Office equipment, documents and files were destroyed, while some shelves, cabinets and other properties in a nearby room were rescued by firefighters.
The intensity of the blaze also reportedly caused cracks in parts of the office walls, with portions of the cement structure falling as firefighters battled to contain the fire.
Personnel of the Anambra State Fire Service, led by the state Fire Chief, Chukwudi Chiketa, responded to the emergency. Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) also joined the response.
Chiketa said the exact cause of the fire had not yet been established and that an investigation would be conducted to determine what triggered the incident.
The NSCDC State Commandant, Maku Olatunde, said his personnel were alerted at about 3pm and immediately deployed a disaster management team to the scene.
He said the joint response by the NSCDC and state fire service prevented the fire from spreading to other offices within the complex. According to the commandant, property estimated at more than N200 billion was saved as a result of the quick intervention.
Olatunde added that preliminary findings pointed to a possible power surge as the cause, although he stressed that investigations were still ongoing and that the cause had not been conclusively established.
Normal activities have reportedly resumed at the Federal Secretariat following the containment of the fire.
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over fire safety in public buildings, particularly the importance of functional fire extinguishers, emergency response systems and regular electrical inspections.
Fire officials have urged workers and residents to keep fire extinguishers readily available and immediately contact emergency services whenever they notice signs of a fire.
Authorities are expected to conduct a fuller assessment of the affected offices to determine the extent of the structural and material damage and establish the definitive cause of the outbreak.
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