Mysterious fire razes building during downpour in Calabar

A mysterious fire completely burnt down a residential building in the Calabar South Local Government Area of the Cross River State capital.
Residents of the building located on Inyang Street said they were still amazed on the cause of the fire when PUNCH Metro visited the area on Saturday.
It was learnt that the fire consumed the entire house around 1am on Friday while the rain was falling.

A resident, Mr. Samuel Udo said the fire started when nearly all the occupants of the house were asleep.
The inferno was said to have consumed properties worth thousands of naira inside shops and apartments.
Udo said, "We were enjoying our sleep as the rain was falling, but suddenly we heard shouts of fire coming from outside. When we rushed out to see where the fire was coming from we discovered that the roof of our building was ablaze. The flames suddenly became fierce and nobody could return inside."
The affected resident, who said he is from Etinan in Akwa Ibom, said officials of the Cross River State Fire Service were alerted and they arrived within 25 minutes but could not put off the fire.
"The fire-fighters could not quench the inferno until it had consumed virtually everything in the house. We suspect that the fire was beyond the ordinary," he said.
Residents of the ill-fated building were seen lamenting over their losses when PUNCH Metro visited the scene.
While some sat close to the devastated building with sympathisers consoling them, others wept openly.
"I came out with just with my night trouser, but for some sympathisers who gave me a shirt and a trouser I would have been naked up till this moment," an anonymous resident wailed.
When contacted, an official of the Cross River State Fire Service who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said his colleagues responded to the distress and got there on time but for some inexplicable reasons were unable to put off the fire immediately.
"When they got there they did their best but the fire had wreak much havoc before it could be put out," he said.