Many feared killed as fire razes Anambra market

Many people were feared killed, on Tuesday, when fire razed the Ọgbọ Ọgwụ Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that about 10 people were injured and goods worth millions of naira destroyed during the incident.

A shop owner in the market, John Oparaji, told PREMIUM TIMES that the fire started after an explosion rocked the market.

The explosion is said to have occurred at a chemical and surgical line of the market.

He said “many people died” in the fire outbreak, but that he saw only two corpses after the incident.

“Many people died, but we don’t know the actual number of people that died yet. But I have seen two bodies,” he said in Igbo language.

Chukwulota Ndubuisi, chairman of the market, confirmed the fire incident to reporters.

He, however, said he would not be able to give details of the incident immediately because they were still busy trying to put off the fire.

“We are trying to put it off completely to avoid spreading to other sections of the market,” he said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Chairman of Anambra State Fire Service, Martin Agbili, said firefighters were deployed in the market in response to a distress call.

Mr Agbili said some fighters from the Federal Fire Service attached to Anambra State joined to put off the fire.

He confirmed that the fire was caused by a chemical explosion and that it led to the collapse of some buildings in the market.

The fire chief also confirmed that “some people” died in the fire incident.

“The total number of casualties has not been ascertained as of the time of this report,” Mr Agbili said.