A fire outbreak on Thursday afternoon destroyed eight shelter rooms and a mosque at a military checkpoint along Gombe Road in Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State, leaving one military personnel injured.
Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out around 1:30pm when thick smoke was seen billowing from the checkpoint, prompting residents and security personnel to raise the alarm.
“People immediately tried to control the fire, but it spread very fast. The smoke was thick, and the fire affected almost the entire shelter area,” an eyewitness said.
Confirming the incident, the Head of the Local Emergency Management Committee of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), Ahmad Daya, said emergency responders acted swiftly to contain the blaze.
“Our personnel responded immediately, and the fire was successfully brought under control. The injured military officer was evacuated for urgent medical attention. We are now working to provide assistance to those affected,” Daya said.
Although the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, preliminary reports suggest it may have been triggered by an electrical fault.
No other casualties were recorded, while investigations into the incident are ongoing..
Meanwhile, the incident comes barely hours after a separate fire outbreak razed a petroleum and cooking gas filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos, Plateau State, earlier on Thursday.
