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An early morning fire on Wednesday gutted several shops near the General Post Office on Ibokwu Street, by Old Market Road, Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State.
The inferno destroyed goods, property, and equipment worth millions of naira, according to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
Mrs Chidimma Ike, an eyewitness and a homeowner in one of the affected buildings, said the fire originated from one of the shops.
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She recounted: “The fire started from one of the shops early this morning. We suddenly noticed thick smoke, and before we understood what was happening, the fire began to spread rapidly.
“Most of the traders and shop owners were not at their businesses today, as many were at home for Christmas.
“As the fire raged, several calls were made to the fire service, but it was residents and passersby who mobilised to rescue goods and battle the fire for several hours.”
One of the affected shop owners, Mr Chinedu Nnamdi, who also resides in the area, said he initially saw the smoke from a distance and assumed it was from someone burning waste, as the shops were closed for the Christmas holiday.
“I was not aware that the smoke was from a fire engulfing our shops until I received a call from my neighbours about the incident,” Nnamdi said.
It had been recently reported that a fire outbreak has destroyed shops in Afia Nkwo Market, Isiama Ohafia, in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.
The fire, which occurred on Friday morning, destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
Some of the victims who spoke to Newsmen lamented that they had recently restocked their shops for the Christmas and New Year sales season, only to find their shops in ruins after the inferno.
