Property and goods worth millions of naira were on Thursday destroyed as fire engulfed the World Bank Housing Estate in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
The inferno has left residents and business owners in distress.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that one of the victims, whose property was affected, had suffered a similar fire incident in her residential home just last month.
Abia State Fire Service officials swiftly responded to the scene and are currently battling to contain the blaze, which has caused significant property damage.
An eyewitness at the scene, Tochukwu Ogbuagu urged the public to prioritize safety measures, particularly turning off electrical appliances and sockets before leaving their shops or homes, to prevent such tragic occurrences in the future.
“People believe in ‘I cover myself with the blood of Jesus’. A fire extinguisher is very important, everyone should endeavour to have one,” Tochukwu advised.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Attempts to speak with officials of the fire service failed as they said only “our boss can speak at the office” as of the time of filing this report.