Fire Guts Transcorp Hotel In Calabar

The power house of Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel Calabar, Cross River State with the four giant 50 KVA generators in it was Friday evening razed down, thus affecting all preparations for Valentine Dinner party that was organised for lovers and guests at the hotel. The fire started when the machine used in dispensing diesel from the storage tank to one of the giant generators caught fire as preparation for Valentine Dinner Night was in top gear. A worker with the hotel who craved anonymity confirmed to Thisday that staff of the electrical department of the hotel which is one of the best in Calabar were supplying diesel into one of the generators “when suddenly the machine used in taking diesel from the storage tank caught fire spreading rapidly to the power generating house forcing the staff to leave the place”. Although no life was lost in the inferno, it took the combined effort of the Cross River State fire service and fire fighters from the federal Airport Authority (FAAN) over 3 hours to extinguish the fire. A Senior Staff of the hotel who did not want his name in print said property lost is valued at N300 million. He however expressed joy that none of its staff died or sustain injury in the course of trying to manage the fire. A senior manager from the Airport Rescue and fire service unit, Mr. Eno Ikpi Otu said that his team would have salvaged the situation earlier but for traffic hold-up it had to arrive late. Also speaking, State Security Adviser to governor Imoke, Mr. Rekpene Bassey described the incident as unfortunate