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Tragedy struck Aba on Saturday night as a devastating fire ravaged the area, resulting in the loss of leather products, raw materials, and machines worth an estimated ₦3 billion.
The inferno wreaked havoc on the Mansion Zone block of the Powerline Leather Products Industrial Cluster, destroying over 30 shops and causing serious damage.
Mr. Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, Chairman of the affected block in the industrial cluster, highlighted the unfortunate plight of over 500 workers who have been directly impacted by the fire that destroyed their workplaces.
Mr. Nwachukwu appreciated the Abia Fire Service, even though they arrived an hour after the fire had started, for their commendable efforts in successfully extinguishing the raging inferno.
A victim Mr. Cherechi Ndukwe, alerted by a phone call informing him of the incident, immediately rushed to the scene to ascertain the extent of the damage.
‘We made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to douse the inferno with buckets of water before the arrival of the men of Abia Fire Service from Umuahia.’
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‘The fire service men arrived some minutes past 11 p.m to help us douse the raging fire,’ he said.
Ndukwe requested urgent assistance for the affected victims, noting that the consequences of the incident on their businesses, families, and employees is a huge one.
‘It will be very difficult survive without the support of Abia and Federal Governments,’ he added.
Overwhelmed with sorrow, Mrs. Nnenna Onyedikachi recounted the extent of the damage caused by the fire, stating that it had wiped out everything they had worked hard to invest in their business.
Condemning the actions of opportunistic individuals, Mr. Goodluck Mmeri, former Chairman of Omenka Shoemakers Association, Powerline Zone, expressed his dismay at the theft of materials and machines during the fire incident.
The President of the Leather Product Manufacturers Association in Abia, Mazi Okechukwu Williams, lamented while noting the losses endured by the traders amidst the prevailing harsh economic conditions.
Mazi Okechukwu Williams voiced his disappointment that the state government had not yet reinstated a Fire Service outpost at Ariaria International Market, stressing the urgent need for its presence to enhance fire incident management.
Williams humbly implored Governor Alex Otti to prioritize the restoration of the fire service outpost, emphasising its crucial role in ensuring swift intervention during fire incidents within the market and its environs.
