{
  "id": 2564917,
  "title": "VIDEO: Fire rages Calabar mall",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/video-fire-rages-calabar-mall-2564917",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T11:42:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/video-fire-rages-calabar-mall/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A devastating fire engulfed the popular SPAR Mall in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, on Saturday morning. Eyewitness videos posted on social media depict thick plumes of smoke and raging flames emanating from the facility. In the circulating clips, frantic onlookers and overwhelmed shop owners can be seen gathering outside the burning complex as the blaze rapidly spread throughout the premises. According to one witness, \"It's moving from shop to shop.\" Others expressed their dissatisfaction with the apparent slow response from emergency services, noting that millions of naira worth of goods were destroyed while they watched helplessly. A distraught woman, captured in another video, lamented, \"What a day. See what is happening to millions of naira at SPAR shopping mall. No water to quench it, no fire service to rescue. Look at our shops and millions of naira.\" Afterward, footage showed the arrival of a fire truck and police personnel to regain control of the situation, extinguish the fire, and manage the crowd. However, the source of the fire remains undetermined. As of the time of this report, neither the Cross River State Government nor local emergency management authorities have released an official statement regarding any casualties, the structural integrity of the building, or the financial impact of the incident.",
  "summary": "Watch videos of the devastating Calabar Mall fire as SPAR is gutted, destroying goods worth millions. Witnesses lament slow emergency response. Read More: https://punchng.com/video-fire-rages-calabar-mall/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "VIDEO: Fire rages Calabar mall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/video-fire-rages-calabar-mall",
        "published": "2026-08-22T11:30:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Police battling to contain looters at Calabar shopping mall gutted by fire",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/police-battling-to-contain-looters-at-calabar-shopping-mall-gutted-by",
        "published": "2026-08-22T12:46:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}