Traders at popular Eke Oyibo Market, Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, are counting their losses after fire razed ten shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday 18th February 2022.
Correspondent Chibuzor Obidike reports that the cause of the fire incident is still sketchy as at the time of filing this report.
At the scene, the Transition Committee Chairman, Awka South Local Government Area, Mr Leo Nwuba, expressed sorrow at the magnitude of losses suffered by the victims and commiserated with the traders for the loss of goods, assuring them of government’s intervention.
Mr Nwuba harped on the need for fire safety consciousness to reduce the rate of fire incidents in the state.
In an interview, the President General of Amawbia Town Union, Sir Godwin Aronu assured that a lasting solution to prevent future occurrences would be fashioned out to safeguard lives and material losses in future, adding that the current trend cannot continue.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Eke Oyibo Market Amawbia, Mr Peter Nwogbo commended the gallantry of the youths of the market, fire service officials and other security personnel who came immediately to the scene to stem the spread of the inferno.
Some of the traders whose shops were razed, including Mrs Blessing Igbo and Mrs Ebele Anagor were still awestruck as they watched their shop burnt down by the ravaging fire and appealed to well-meaning individuals, the state government and federal government to come to their aid.