The Federal Capital Territory Fire Service has said the fire outbreak at Cake Hut Restaurant in Wuse 2, Abuja, was caused by objects thrown from outside the premises during New Year celebrations.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, but no life was lost, according to the fire service.
Speaking with journalists, the Comptroller of the FCT Fire Service Command, Engr. Zacchaeus Amiola Adebayo, said the agency received an emergency call around 12:25 a.m.
“We received a distress call in the early hours of Thursday around 12:25 a.m., and our men were quickly mobilised to the scene. I was personally there,” Adebayo said.
He explained that initial findings showed that an object thrown during the celebrations landed on a thatched section of the restaurant, sparking the fire.
“From our preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by an object thrown from outside the premises during New Year celebrations, which landed on a thatched roof inside the restaurant,” he stated.
Adebayo said personnel of the FCT Fire Service worked alongside officers of the Federal Fire Service to bring the situation under control, while the police assisted by clearing traffic to allow easy access for emergency responders.
“With the combined efforts of the FCT Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service, and with the police assisting to clear the road, we were able to put the fire under control by about 1:20 a.m.,” he said.
He confirmed that the fire was fully extinguished and assured residents that no casualties were recorded during the incident.
