ABUJA – By Paul Efiong The Federal Capital Authority, FCTA, has sealed off Peace Park plaza in Abuja, which was gutted by fire on Tuesday and claimed two lives.
The inferno whose major cause was not immediately known by the fire fighters and other security agents who rushed in for rescue operations started at about 2pm putting occupants who were still in their various offices in a panic mood.
Eye witnesses account revealed that no casualty would have been recorded if people were able to control themselves in such circumstances.
However, most of those who jumped down from their various floors sustained avoidable injuries.
This compelled the Department of Development Control (DDC), the FCT Federal Fire Service(FFS) and the Police to seal off the plaza indefinitely.
Speaking with journalists shortly after his assessment visit to the plaza, the Chief Superintendent of Federal Fire Service in the FCT Command, Sheno Abiyu explained that the management of the plaza deliberately refused to obey the national building code which should have prevented the incidence that caused loss of lives.
Abiyu who described the incidence as unfortunate further said measures are already in the pipeline to check and prevent greedy landlords and building owners in the FCT from playing politics with peoples’ lives.
According to the FFS FCT, two persons have been confirmed dead while many others are in the hospital receiving treatment due to various degrees of injuries they sustained as they jumped down from various floors scampering for their lives.
He further blamed the management of the plaza for not providing additional exit which should have helped in the face of unforeseen occurrence.
According to him, “the major cause of the incidence was an electrical spark which occurred when the armored cable that supply light to the building got burnt and so the whole place was on smoke as a result of a highly combustible materials that they parked under the staircase which is the only way in and out of the plaza.”
A source from the Department of Development Control(DDC FCTA) who pleaded not to be mentioned in print alleged that the management of the Plaza has refused to abide by the FCT Master Plan (MP) emphasizing that under such circumstances, government has no alternative than to revoke their certificate of occupancy.
