Traders count losses as fire razes Anambra market

Shops and goods estimated to be worth multi-million naira have been burnt during a night fire incident that occurred at the popular Iweka Road, close to Ochanja market, Onitsha, Anambra State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the fire, which started at about 8:30pm on Tuesday, razed many shops, burning goods and property to ashes.

Although the cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, it was gathered that the fire raged for several minutes before the arrival of the firefighters as some of the traders had already gone home before it started.

Our correspondent who visited the scene on Wednesday observed that the owners of the affected shops were trying to salvage some of the remains of their goods while lamenting the devastation the incident had caused them.

A victim, who identified himself simply as Nonye, said, “I deal on furniture and leather materials. Some of us arrived this morning to see that our shops have been reduced to rubble as a result of the fire incident. It is a huge loss to us.

“The cause of the fire is still unknown. It burnt many shops. We had gone home before the fire started. I learnt the security personnel called the telephone lines of the shop owners, while some people came to salvage some things from their shop, I couldn’t come because I didn’t receive any call as my phone shut down because of lack of electricity.”

Another victim, who gave her name as Uche, said, “I deal on foams. The information circulated at midnight that some shops were on fire and that firefighters were battling to control it. Some people who were mobile rushed to the scene to ascertain what was happening.

“But I couldn’t come and only came this morning to see that everything in my shop and some other shops had been reduced to ashes. We learnt that the firefighters battled for several hours before quenching the fire. This is a huge loss to us and I don’t know where to start from again.”

Confirming the fire incident, the head of Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, said it received a distress call at about 9:40 pm and immediately deployed a crew of firemen and firefighting equipment to the scene.

Chiketa said, “Anambra State Fire Service at about 9.40 pm of Tuesday, March 25, received a distress call about a raging fire at the popular Iweka Road, close to Ochanja Market, Onitsha.

“Immediately, a crew of firemen and firefighting equipment was deployed to the scene of the fire, they fought gallantly and contained the incident, stopping the fire from further escalation.

“The incident affected four shops, and many others were saved in a two-storey building. These shops contained furniture materials such as leather, foam and others.

“The cause of the fire has not been ascertained. The firemen withdrew from the incident scene at 03.05 am the next day, Wednesday, March 26.