Fire guts FCMB Garki, audit unit affected

A fire outbreak Friday gutted the internal audit department of First City Monument Bank, FCMB area 7 Garki, Abuja.

The fire incident is said to have started around 4:00 pm, which brought transaction in the banking hall to a halt. As workers were seen scampering for safety, customers were also prevented from entering the premises.

It took the intervention of a team of Federal Fire Service from the El Rufai Fire service, the Federal fire service and the FCT fire service to put the fire off.

Some of the eye witness, described the fire incident as a big one that could have consumed the entire building, except for the quick response of the Fire Service men, who came to the rescue of the bank.

Though, the fire was said to have affected only the bank’s internal audit department, the cause and extent of damage is not yet known, as at the time of filling this report but an inside source told Vanguard that the fire was  caused by electrical fault which was said to have been a usual occurrence at the bank.

The leader of the Fire Service Team, who identified himself as Buky said “Fire gutted FCMB branch, Garki. The cause is still under investigation. Presently, the extent of damage is yet to be ascertained. The manager of the bank and their engineers are still working to find out all these.”

The internal audit department is located at the first floor of the two story building. The building also harbours Legacy Pension office and other companies.

Meanwhile, journalists were prevented from entering the building to assess the extent of the damage even as photojournalists were prevented by security men from taking photographs of the building.

Vanguard