A fire outbreak rocked the Rivers State Secretariat in Port Harcourt on Monday, destroying parts of the complex and sparking panic among civil servants.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started in the early hours of the day from one of the upper floors of the multi-storey building, sending plumes of smoke into the air as workers scrambled for safety.
Officials of the Rivers State Fire Service arrived swiftly and battled to bring the situation under control, preventing the flames from spreading to nearby offices and ministries within the complex.
While no casualties were recorded, several offices reportedly lost valuable documents and equipment to the blaze. The cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed, though preliminary reports suggest it may have resulted from an electrical fault.
State government officials later visited the scene to assess the level of damage and assured that investigations were underway to determine the root cause and strengthen safety measures in the secretariat.
The Rivers State Secretariat, which houses most of the state’s ministries and agencies, remains partially closed as authorities evaluate the extent of the destruction.
Shopeju Olateju
NaijaTravels News