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Calabar Mall Fire: Trader Recalls Blown Bulb, Power Fluctuations Before Inferno
A trader at the Spar shopping mall in Calabar, Cross River State, has recounted the events that preceded the fire which ravaged the shopping complex. ...
By Wavers News
The trader, speaking in an interview with TVC News, said the first sign of trouble came when a bulb in her shop blew and smoke was noticed. She said she immediately contacted the mall’s maintenance team, who came to the shop and switched something off.
According to her, the maintenance team told her the issue would be addressed the following morning.
She said other tenants subsequently began reporting power fluctuations on the mall’s shared platform, adding that she also informed the group that her shop was experiencing the same problem.
The trader said she later went to a church service, only to receive a call informing her that the fire had spread into the mall.
“I am a victim,” she said, adding that her husband’s shop had been affected and that she was uncertain about the condition of her own shop.
Another person at the scene commended the firefighters and security personnel for their response. The source said their intervention helped prevent the situation from becoming worse and also stopped suspected criminals and vandals from taking advantage of the incident to loot.
The trader’s account links the blown bulb and reported power fluctuations to events that occurred before the fire. However, the report does not establish that the electrical issues caused the inferno.
The fire has affected businesses operating at the shopping complex, with traders now facing losses from the incident.