The sixth floor offices of the zonal headquarters of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Marina, Lagos, which house the welfare as well as the archives departments of the company were yesterday gutted.
Eyewitnesses account at the scene of the incident said a combined team of fire fighters from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire Service, Union Bank Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Ports Plc, Nigerian Navy and Julius Berger Plc were able to put out the afternoon inferno before it spread to other floors of the 15-storey building.
The building served as the headquarters of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) before the transformation into PHCN and the subsequent relocation of the headquarters to Abuja. It now serves as the Eko Distribution Zonal Headquarters of the PHCN.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known as investigations were said to be ongoing at the time THISDAY visited the scene of the fire incident yesterday.
The burnt floor is the repository of vital documents of retirees of the organisation.
Speaking with THISDAY on the incident, Mr. Idemudia Godwin, the principal manager, public affairs unit of the distribution zone of the PHCN, said all the staff were evacuated to a safe point when the fire was noticed yesterday afternoon.
He added that there was no casualty as a result of the incident, although some accounts said a few staff sustained injuries in the process of evacuation.
Godwin was initially billed to address a press conference on the incident yesterday, but shortly after the announcement was made, the meeting was called off.
Godwin said the safety department of the zone was already carrying out investigations into the actual cause of the inferno.
He said no life was lost, but vital documents and office equipment on the floor were destroyed by the fire.
The building was cordoned off and people were not allowed to enter the building as at about 4.45 pm when THISDAY reporter visited the place.
Eyewitness accounts yesterday expressed fears that the building may collapse due to the effect of the fire incident because of the cracks to the affected floor.
They said the prompt response of the fire services from the various establishments helped the situation from spreading to the neighbouring blocks and other floors in the 15-storey edifice.
As at the time of filing this report at about 7.20 pm, the management of the zone was said to be in a meeting in the drivers’ lounge behind the main building to appraise the incident.
It is ironical that PHCN office was being consumed by an inferno because nearly all fire incidents that have occurred in recent times have been traced to sudden power surge from the organisation.
Although as at last night the cause of the latest public building to be razed by fire had not been determined, blames have always been heaped on the organisation during past fire incidents.
Jan142009