By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A midnight over the weekend destroyed an Nnewi-based multi-million naira company, Louis Carter Industries Nigeria Limited.

It was gathered that the company known for the production of motorcycle spare parts and allied products at Akaboukwu Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State, was gutted by fire at about 10:00 p.m. and raged on six hours.

Information has it that the intervention of the men of the fire service who allegedly arrived the scene one hour and thirty minutes later could not help to douse the raging fire.

The General Managing of the company, Mr Ndubisi Okoli, the company’s security men alerted him and informed him that the magnitude of the fire could borne out out with fire extinguishers at the factory, which made him to dial emergency number 112 with a response that saw the arrival of the firefighters

He blamed the fire on the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) high tension cable that exploded and sparked off fire to the section of the factory.

He said: “Raw materials and crushing machines worth over N500 million as the building was completely razed, though no life was lost.”

Reacting to the incident, the owner of the factory, Chief Louis Onwugbenu, said, "The fire incident has caused a huge loss to the company that has hundreds of workers at the section that got burnt.

“It will cost him huge amount of money to rebuild the factory. I am uncomfortable about the number of workers that had been thrown out of job because of the fire outbreak.”

He however hailed the effort made by an Nnewi industrialist, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, and member representing Nnewi North in the state House of Assembly, Hon Nonso Smart, saying that the lawmaker was at scene in the course of the inferno to motivate the fire fighters.

Onwugbenu called on the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to come to the aid of the company.

“If the governor can reconstruct the access road that leads to the company from the major highway, it would ease up my burden in this great loss,” he said.

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