A late-night fire incident has razed parts of the Plumbing Materials Section of the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
The blaze, which erupted around 11:55pm on Friday, occurred near the Ogbo-Ogwu Medicine Market along the busy Onitsha-Awka Expressway, close to the River Niger Bridge. Traders and residents were seen making frantic efforts to contain the flames before the arrival of firefighters.
Although no lives were lost, several shops were affected, with large quantities of plumbing materials and other goods destroyed. Many shop owners were left devastated, lamenting the loss of investments built over several years.
Eyewitnesses said the fire burned for some time before personnel from the state fire service arrived and brought the situation under control, preventing it from spreading further.
One of the eyewitnesses recounted, “The fire started at almost 12 midnight, the security men at the market alerted officials and traders, but before they could rush to the market, the fire had burnt a substantial part of the market.
As we speak now, some of the affected shop owners are still packing some of their burnt items and examining the extent of damage. The exact cause of the fire could not be immediately determined, but a power surge is suspected.”
Confirming the development, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Head Bridge Market, Onitsha, Chinedu Ezekwike, in a WhatsApp statement, acknowledged the swift response of authorities and individuals who helped contain the fire.
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He said, “There was a serious fire outbreak last night at Head Bridge Market, Onitsha by the Plumbing Material Section, when we contacted the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area around 12 midnight, he responded immediately and contacted fire service personnel and they came in numbers and quelled the fire.
“Special thanks to the Chairman of plumbing material, who left his house in Asaba around 12:15am to control the situation at his domain.
“As the President General of the market, I want to use this medium to thank all those who contributed in one way or another to make sure that the fire was quenched last night.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Fire Service had yet to release an official statement on the incident, while the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
