A structural fire partially razed an industrial property in Lautoka on yesterday sparking concerns over safety protocols during the inferno.
Secured Security officer Penaisi Ciri, who was on duty at the time, reported seeing smoke emanating from the premises, located in the Namoli industrial area, around midday.
”I was sitting at my station when I saw the smoke coming from the property around 12.30pm,” he said.
He alleged that initial attempts to contact emergency services were unsuccessful.
”I called the National Fire Authority four times but no one was answering. When we did manage to get a hold of them, they arrived 15 minutes later.”
According to witness accounts, the blaze originated at Popular Furniture before spreading to an adjacent property.
Mr Ciri said that responding firefighters required assistance to breach the perimeter.
”They asked for a crowbar to open the gate and get into the compound,” he said. Mr Ciri was forced to manage traffic and bystanders after a tank on the premises ruptured.
”There was a long queue of cars coming this way, so I stopped them from driving past this area because a tank had exploded in the premises.
“I then told people to move away from the building in case something else were to explode and injure someone.”
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the National Fire Authority were unsuccessful at the time of press.
Phone calls made to NFA media liaison officer Epineri Vula remained unanswered and attempts to reach NFA’s acting CEO Joel Israel were also unsuccessful.
