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Residents of Wannune in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State are counting their losses after a fierce fire outbreak on Tuesday afternoon razed more than four houses to the ground.
The inferno, whose cause remains unknown at the time of this report, started in one compound and rapidly spread to neighbouring buildings, destroying homes and property worth millions of naira.
In the absence of any response from the state fire service, it was the bravery and determination of local youths and community members that eventually brought the raging flames under control. Armed with buckets, bowls, and whatever containers they could find, they fought tirelessly for hours until the fire was extinguished.
Miraculously, no life was lost in the disaster, a development residents have described as nothing short of divine intervention.
Eyewitnesses expressed deep frustration over the non-appearance of fire fighters despite distress calls reportedly made to relevant authorities. The incident has once again exposed the chronic operational challenges facing the Benue State Fire Service, including lack of functional fire stations and response vehicles in many parts of the state.
As affected families begin to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, there are growing calls for the state government to urgently overhaul and decentralise fire fighting infrastructure to prevent future tragedies of this nature.
For now, the people of Wannune are simply grateful to be alive and are rallying around the victims with whatever little support they can offer.
