3 Injured, N50M Wares Destroyed As Fire Gut Electronics Market

 www.odogwublog.com reports that tragedy struck on Tuesday in Onitsha International Electronics Market, Anambra State as wares worth about N50 million were reportedly gutted by mid night fire while three persons sustained various degrees of injuries.

Most affected shop was the double musical equipment shop (Amson Electronics) where over N35 million worth of wares were destroyed by the ravaging inferno.

The cause of the inferno which has not been ascertained as at press time started about 3.am from one of the lock-up shops according to one of the vigilance operatives inside the market who said he subsequently alerted his commander, Mr. Jideofor Okacha.

The vigilance commander who stressed the need for control switch to be installed in the market stated that on rushing to the shop with other security operatives, the thick smoke was seen bellowing from the said shop that was locked-up with musical instruments.

His words: “We tried to break the shop to stop the fire with our fire extinguisher but to no avail and the security men from one of the new generation banks located inside the market brought their extinguisher but to no avail rather the fire escalated touching the double shop apartment and other close shops in the market”, the security commander hinted.

“As it went out of our control, we called the Okpoko fire Service men about 4.am and they responded promptly with their vehicle and fought gallantly to put off the fire.  
“Their effort were resisted by the ravaging inferno having finished the water in the tank and they rushed back to their office and came back almost immediately and emptied the entire water content in the inferno which quenched it from escalating to the entire market.

On casualty figure, he said “nobody died because it was in the midnight and people were still sleeping but myself, one of my security men and one security man from the said new generation bank were injured as we tried to save the wares of the traders by trying to stop the fire”.

The President General of the market, Mr. Izuchukwu Okoye, who was flanked by his Secretary General, Comrade Domian Ogudike, commended Governor Willie Obiano for the provision of fire service equipment that was used to quench the inferno as according to him, “if not for this equipment and readiness of the fire service men at that point in time, the fire would have escalated to the entire market”.

Okoye urged the Governor to extend his hand of fellowship to the market by providing them with fire service equipments like he did in other markets.

Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr. Philip Ezekiel, said “I promptly sent my men to the scene. The Okpoko Divisional Police Officer, DPO, mobilized his men and stormed the scene on a tip-off”.
He expressed satisfaction that the concerted efforts of the market security operatives, the fire service officials and the police rapidly quenched the inferno adding that “they worked like a team”.