A section of the Vatican Express travel agency in Bamenda was engulfed in flames Saturday night. The fire, which broke out around 11:00 pm, reportedly started in the building’s snack bar and lodging area, quickly spreading and threatening surrounding establishments.
According to Petinjoh Dairu, the manager of Vatican Express, he was alerted to the fire at around 11 pm.
“I arrived and saw the top floor covered in flames,” Dairu said.
“While struggling to control the situation with the local population, we also called the army rescue, who arrived quickly and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.”
Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick smoke billowing from the roof of the snack section before the flames intensified rapidly.
A local bike rider, who witnessed the scene, recalled, “We tried to contain it with water, but our efforts were too little. It escalated too quickly.”
The fire contained itself to the snack and lodging areas, leaving other sections of the agency undamaged.
“The fire confined the damage to the snack bar and the lodging rooms,” said the manager.
“While the impact is significant, it could have been much worse.”
Many nearby business owners feared for their shops as the fire raged.
“I own a provision store nearby, and I was really scared of losing everything,” said a local shop owner.
“But thank God the army rescue arrived just in time to prevent further damage.”
Firefighters arrived at the scene within ten minutes of being notified and fought the flames for over two hours.
Their swift action prevented the fire from spreading further.
Witnesses speculate that an electrical fault may have caused the fire, although the cause remains unconfirmed.
Senior Warrant Officer Taku Paul, Chief of Center Army Rescue in Bamenda, suggested that the fire was large upon their arrival but emphasized the importance of community preparedness.
“We did our best to limit the spread of the fire,” he said.
“We urge the population to have fire extinguishers for minor incidents and to always call us at 118 in case of any emergency.”
Taku also recommended that residents turn off all electrical appliances and meters before retiring for the night, especially given frequent electrical fluctuations in most parts of Bamenda.
Despite the destruction, Vatican Express management reassured the public that operations would continue as normal.
“Although this is a big loss for the company, it will not disrupt our normal functioning. Our mail service and ticketing sections were unaffected,” said the management.
“For now, we are cleaning up the area to ensure business continues while we address the damages in the affected section.”
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