Employees and customers of the Sterling Bank Plc, Oke Ilewo branch, around the OPIC roundabout, Abeokuta, Ogun State, ran out of the bank on Tuesday as a section of the bank caught fire due to a power surge.
The fire was said to have gutted the top floor of the one-storeyed building housing the bank.
An employee of the bank, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the fire broke out around 12pm due to a power surge.
It was gathered that efforts by the security personnel of the bank to put out the fire by using the bank’s fire extinguishers were futile, forcing the management of the bank to call the firefighters from the state fire service.
The firefighters later put out the fire before it spread to other parts of the building.
None of the management staff was ready to speak with PUNCH Metro at the scene of the incident.
However, the Deputy Director, Ogun State Fire and Safety Service, Mr. Adebambo Adesanya, said the agency received a call from the bank and responded immediately.
He said,” We received a call from the bank that there was a fire incident and within a few minutes, we arrived at the scene. Everything is now under control.
“The fire occurred as a result of a power surge. Presently, I can’t confirm the extent of the damage, but a part of the roof was affected.
“We have to be very careful with our electrical gadgets during the harmattan period, as ninety per cent of the equipment that we use in our offices and homes are combustible elements and can ignite anytime.”
A customer, who pleaded not to be named, said the power surge occurred at the ICT unit of the bank.
He said, “I was about to receive money from the cashier in the banking hall when I heard a noise.
“At first, I thought that armed robbers were outside the banking hall, but I later noticed that there was fire. Everybody, including bank workers and customers, rushed out through the emergency exit.”
However, Sterling Bank Plc, in a statement on Tuesday, commended its customers in Abeokuta for their support.
The bank said the fire might have been caused by electrical spark from an air conditioner, adding that it was put out barely one hour after it started and prevented from spreading to other parts of the building, including the banking hall.
The bank in the statement by the Chief Marketing Officer, Henry Bassey, said, “Our Abeokuta branch, located at Oke Ilewo, experienced a fire incident this morning (Tuesday) leading to temporary disruption of banking services for about one hour. The fire was caused by a spark from an air conditioner.
“The timely intervention of our vigilant staff, using the first aid fire equipment provided by the bank, and the timely response by the Ogun State Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building, particularly the banking hall. The fire was put under control one hour later and banking services resumed immediately.”
The bank commended the customers for their patience and the Ogun firefighters for their timely response, adding that measures had been put in place to forestall recurrence.
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