A devastating fire outbreak on Friday night destroyed the Wukari Local Government Council Secretariat in Taraba State, halting administrative activities within the council.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the council, Bala Useni, said the fire broke out shortly after he left the secretariat for an official engagement.

He explained that he was alerted to the incident by a security operative of the Taraba State Marshal.

According to Useni, initial attempts to contain the fire proved unsuccessful, as the Federal University Wukari Fire Service could not operate effectively due to a lack of water.

“The inferno was eventually brought under control through the combined efforts of council staff and concerned individuals,” he said.

The chairman disclosed that most of the administrative buildings were affected by the fire, with only a section of his office spared from destruction.

He noted that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, adding that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Useni also revealed that the incident has significantly disrupted administrative operations and negatively impacted service delivery in the local government area.

To address the situation, he said a committee would be constituted to assess the extent of the damage and determine the cause of the fire.

No casualties were recorded in the incident. (Guardian)