The Gombe State Fire Service said on Friday that 20 people died and property valued at over N417.1 million were destroyed in fire disasters in the state from January to December 2018.

Mr Wambai Haruna, a Deputy Director, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.

Haruna said that the service saved 2,053 lives and property worth N4.4 billion while 168 people sustained various degrees of injuries during the period under review.

He advised the public to cooperate with personnel of the service by alerting them on time for prompt action during emergency situations.

He also urged parents to caution their wards on the handling of inflammable items and to switch off all electrical appliances before going to bed, to avoid fire outbreak.

Haruna further appealed to the state government to provide the service with more equipment to enhance disaster management.