Fire Guts Rice Mill In Benue As Shop Owners Count Losses

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

A fire outbreak has damaged properties and food stuffs worth millions of naira at the Rice mill market in Wurukum by the North Bank bridge in Makurdi, the State capital.

It was learned that two shops were completely destroyed with all the rice processing machines, including processed and non processed rice as well as other items were burnt.

The fire incident was said to have happened on Sunday night at about 10pm  when the traders have all gone home.

It was further gathered that men of the state fire service swiftly intervened to put out the fire preventing it from spreading to other shops.

One of the affected shop owners, Mrs Hanmaikyur Mercy, lamented over her shop, saying that she started her business in December 2023 with about N10 million lamenting that she has lost everything to the fire.

She wondered how she could start over again with the current economic situation.

Mercy called on the state Governor, Hyacinth Alia to help her get back on her feet saying that her three milling machines, de-stoning machines, polishing and others are gone including bags of rice.

The Son, Iorwa Jeremiah, who described the situation as unfortunate, said not a single item, not even a bag of rice was removed from their shop as at the time they got there when they were called the fire had engulfed their shop. 

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“We only met the fire service on the ground putting out the fire when we came and this morning when we came to see the shop everything was gone. we are calling on the state government to help us financially to restore our business no matter how small.” 

Some other traders who spoke ruled out the possibility of electricity as the main cause of the fire, explaining that their shops were not connected to any electricity supply.

Also speaking, the chairman of Wurukum rice mill market, Terva Igyar, stated that two shops were burnt, including a motorcycle, about six milling machines, bags of rice and other items.

Igyar said he is touched over the incident adding that the Makurdi local government chairman and the other stakeholders are coming to assess the situation.

He however said they will carry out an assessment of the burnt shops in order to know how much was destroyed to enable Governor Hyacinth Alia support them to return.