Fire destroys part of SPAR mall in Calabar

A fire has destroyed parts of the SPAR shopping mall in Calabar, Cross River State. The blaze ruined property belonging to traders and shoppers.

The fire started early on Saturday morning. Firefighters rushed to the scene as people hurried to save their belongings from the mall.

A content creator named "Dr Laff" shared a video of the fire on Facebook. He said millions of naira worth of goods were lost in the flames.

Fire razing Spar Mall in Calabar, Cross River State

"As I speak right now, millions of properties have been damaged," Dr Laff said in the video.

The video showed many people carrying cartons and other items out of the mall while firefighters battled the fire.

In another video posted on Facebook, the mall was seen engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising into the sky.

People evacuate as fire spreads

Security personnel and firefighters blocked off the mall. Many people were seen carrying their belongings out.

A fire service truck was present, with firefighters using equipment to fight the fire in the affected areas.

At times in the videos, flames could be seen raging inside the shops. People were heard crying over the destruction.

One woman was seen with her hands on her head, clearly upset by what was happening.

"I feel very terrible myself because this is a major shopping mall we have in Cross River State," Dr Laff said in the video.

He added, "Look at these shops, all the properties are burnt down. This is really sad."

A man in military uniform was also at the scene as security agents and firefighters worked to control the fire.

Police believe electrical fault caused the fire

The police spokesperson in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, said they got reports about the fire. He mentioned that an electrical fault might have started it.

"From the report reaching me, the incident started in the early hours of this morning with a lot of properties belonging to people at the SPAR Mall catching fire. Possible cause of the fire points to an electrical fault," Mr Eitokpah said in a message sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

He also said there were no reports of injuries by the time he spoke.

"For now, no casualties; we are trying our best to stop possible looters from taking items belonging to others," the police spokesman said.

He promised to provide more information as things develop. The full extent of the damage and value of the destroyed properties could not be confirmed at the time of this report.