Fire guts Shops in Onitsha, Goods worth Millions of Naira Destroyed

Many traders watched helplessly as men of the Anambra State Fire Service battled to put out the fire that gutted parts of Kano Street near Onitsha main market.

It was gathered that the fire, which was said to have started at about 2am, razed many perfumes, ladies’ wares, cosmetics and wig shops on Kano Street near Onitsha main market, where goods worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed.

But for the timely intervention of the Anambra State Fire Service which exhausted several tanks of water, the inferno would have engulfed the magnificent main market.

Chief Fire Officer of the state Fire Service, Dr Martin Agbili, said his men received the distress call of the fire outbreak and deployed fire trucks and firefighters to the scene immediately.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga said security operatives were also on the ground to ensure that hoodlums did not take advantage of the fire outbreak to loot goods, adding that the situation is under control.

“There was no loss of life, although goods worth millions of naira were affected. Preliminary information shows that the cause of the fire is a result of electrical surge from a cosmetic store in the storey building. Our personnel are still there monitoring,” Ikenga said.

Meanwhile, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the state has commiserated with victims.

Soludo, in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Chris Aburime, expressed sadness over the incident that left shops and goods razed with attendant huge losses.