Multi-million naira worth of goods have been destroyed when fire gutted some shops at a timber market known as Ogbo Osisi Bridgehead Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
It was gathered that the incident happened late on Saturday and about 28 large shops jointly shared the premises.
According to the Chairman, Bridgehead Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, Chinedu Ezekwike, the fire, started at one of the shops and then spread rapidly to others due to the highly combustible materials, including machines and equipment of different types.
Ezekwike, who spoke to journalists on the scene on Sunday, said the fire ignited as a result of some sparks from smoothing machines used in smoothening some finished wood products like doors and chairs.
He added that the tongues of sparklings fell into a heap of wooden dust and gathered momentum with the assistance of the harmattan, thereby spreading the fire.
He, however, noted that traders in the market battled to control the inferno before the arrival of the state fire service men who battled to put off the fire.
While lamenting the total cost of damages, he called on the state government to assist the fire victims in getting back to business soonest.
Credit: Punch