A fire outbreak at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation building in Abuja on Monday morning triggered heavy traffic congestion around the Federal Secretariat, forcing many commuters to trek to their destinations.
The incident, which occurred around 8:00 a.m., drew emergency responders to the scene as thick plumes of dark smoke billowed from an upper floor of the multi-storey building.
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media showed dense black smoke rising from one wing of the structure, reportedly located at Section C of the building within the Federal Secretariat complex.
As firefighters battled to contain the blaze, security officials diverted vehicles away from the affected area, causing significant gridlock around the Head of Service office and adjoining roads within the Secretariat.
Several motorists were prevented from using their usual routes, while passengers were forced to disembark and continue their journeys on foot due to the road restrictions and the buildup of traffic.
An officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps told PUNCH Online that the heavy traffic “is a result of the fire incident at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service. We are managing the situation.
Staff members and visitors were also seen moving away from the building as emergency personnel worked to bring the situation under control.
When contacted, the Media Department of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation confirmed the incident, noting that the fire was confined to Section C of the building.
A fire service official also confirmed that personnel were promptly deployed to the scene.
“Yes, we received the call of a fire outbreak at the Head of the Civil Service building in Abuja this morning and immediately deployed our personnel. They are currently working there,” the official told our correspondent via telephone.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined. Authorities said investigations would commence once the situation is fully contained.
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