The Director of the Kaduna State Fire Service, Mr Paul Aboi, has said seventy-six persons died in 615 fire incidents recorded in the state in 2020.

The Director disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview with the newsmen, NAN reports.

He said 139 persons were injured in the fire incidents, while 85 people were rescued.

Aboi said the state lost more than N2.5 billion to the fire outbreaks, while properties worth N5 billion were salvaged.

According to him, the number of fire incidents increased from 523 in 2019 to 615 in 2020, due to the negligence of residents despite a series of enlightenment.

He said electricity was the major cause of the outbreaks and advised the people to be vigilant as any object could trigger a fire.

“When there is fire, we want the people to call us in good time and motorists should give way for our fire engines to get to those emergencies in good time, “ he said.

The director urged the state government to recruit more firemen to replace those who have died or retired to bridge the manpower gap in the service.

“I have 74 staff across the state and will need more to meet up to the challenges in the year.

“We urge residents to always ensure that all electrical appliances when not in use are switched off,” he added.

DailyPost