From Isaac Ojo Awka
An early hours inferno on Wednesday swept through a section of the Nkpor Main market in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Sources claimed that the fire, which originated from a cold room shop, quickly extended to over thirty shops before vigilant traders collaborated to put out the rampaging inferno.
Operatives of Anambra State Fire Service were said to have later arrived the market and worked throughout the night to prevent a backlash.
The Chairman of the market union, Chief Paul Okafor in a statement confirmed the incident.
He said that an estimated value of goods lost in the inferno exceeded N300 million.
Chief Okafor said that the affected shops housed diverse products, including paints, curtains, gum, shoe leathers, shoe polish, wines, hot drinks and thinners.
The market leader lamented the failure of the Anambra State fire fighters to respond quickly to multiple calls to them for assistance.
He appealed to the state government to position firefighting vehicles beneath the flyover bridge at Nkpor Main market to cater to the fire safety needs of the three major markets in the vicinity.
“We call on the state and local governments and public-spirited individuals and groups to come to the aid of the affected traders to bounce back to business as soon as possible. Goods worth over N300 million were damaged in the inferno, and the traders are now counting their losses. This is not good for this Yuletide,” he stated.
