A fire outbreak has destroyed the St Mary Catholic Cathedral in Wukari, reducing the multi-million-naira structure to ruins.
The Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, John Laikei, said the fire broke out on Wednesday night shortly after electricity was restored in the area.
Laikei explained that the cathedral, a prominent landmark in Wukari town, was completely gutted by the blaze. However, he confirmed that no casualties were recorded.
He described the incident as a major setback for the diocese, noting that members of the church remain in shock over the destruction.
“It was a scene of utter devastation, with fire everywhere. The roofs and much of the furniture have been completely destroyed,” he said.
According to him, the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, although the incident occurred shortly after power supply was restored to the area.
“The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but all I can say is that power was restored before the incident occurred. Authorities are yet to carry out a full assessment of the damage,” he added.
Laikei also lamented the lack of functional fire service vehicles in the area, describing it as a longstanding challenge in Wukari and calling for urgent government intervention.
The incident comes a few months after parts of the Wukari Local Government Secretariat were destroyed by a separate fire outbreak.
