Residents of Agulu community in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State were thrown into panic after a fully loaded lorry crashed into the premises of St. Matthias Catholic Church and caught fire.
The incident occurred late on Wednesday along the Agulu Lake–Golden Tulip Hotel Road, causing traffic gridlock as motorists slowed down while emergency responders battled to contain the blaze.
An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Uzor, said the lorry was travelling at high speed when the driver lost control on the sloping road, veered off the highway and rammed into the church fence before bursting into flames.
According to him, the sudden fire outbreak triggered panic in the area, though no casualties were recorded as the church premises were largely deserted at the time of the incident.
“The lorry was on high speed and veered off the sloping road, crashing into the church premises and immediately going up in flames. Fortunately, nobody was around the area at the time, so there was no casualty,” he said.
He added that residents and passersby quickly alerted emergency responders, who rushed to the scene and began efforts to contain the fire before firefighters arrived.
The driver of the truck reportedly fled the scene immediately after the crash.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, led by Chukwudi Chiketa, said preliminary investigations indicated that the crash was caused by speeding and loss of control.
“A fire incident occurred at St. Matthias Catholic Church, Agulu, following a road crash involving a heavy-duty lorry. Preliminary findings indicate that the vehicle lost control, veered off the road, and crashed into the church premises, igniting a fire outbreak,” he said.
Chiketa added that firefighters responded swiftly to the distress call and successfully brought the fire under control, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures.
“The fire was contained and operations at the scene have been concluded,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the fire service also confirmed a separate fire incident at Climax Industry Limited located on Nnanka Street in Oduma Layout, Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
Chiketa disclosed that the fire, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, affected parts of the company and nearby residential structures.
According to him, firefighters from the Ogidi and Okpoko fire stations were deployed to the scene after a distress call was received around 1:00 a.m.
“The fire was successfully contained through coordinated efforts, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings. Firefighters remained at the scene until about 5:30 a.m. to ensure complete extinguishment and prevent a recurrence,” he said.
He added that the cause of the factory fire had yet to be determined, noting that investigations were ongoing.
The fire service spokesperson urged residents and business owners to prioritise fire safety measures and promptly report any fire outbreak to the nearest fire station.
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2026-03-20
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2026-03-20
