An inferno occured at popular Owerri timber market along Wethedral road,Imo state affecting over 200 shops with goods worth over N4 billion on Christmas eve.
The fire was still raging in some parts of the market at about 1.00pm on Monday, despite efforts by operatives of the Federal Fire Service to quench the inferno that started at about 1.30am on Saturday, December, 24.
Some affected traders had commented on the inferno calling on the government intervention and to investigate the cause of the inferno.
One of the traders, Mr Darlington Chinaza, the Chief Executive Officer of Bekee Global Furnitures, said that about 13 industrial machines, each worth N6 million were burnt, although the actual cause of the inferno was not yet ascertained.
Mr Chinemerem Ikerionwu stated “People offloaded goods worth several millions last night and went home only to be called hours later that the market was on fire. This is unbearable. The government should probe this incident.“A customer came here and bought goods worth N7.5 million. He said he was coming this morning to carry them. I don’t even know what he will do now. Will he seek for a refund? If he does that, where will the shop owner get it from?”
Also, another trader who pleaded anonymity, said: “I lost my two industrial machines and other items. We didn’t take out a single pin from the shops. Everything is lost. This is unbearable.It is a black Christmas for us. We don’t know where to go from here. Nobody knows the cause of the outbreak. We lost over N4 billion here,” he said.
He, however, called on the state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, to come to the aid of the victims in whatever possible way, to ameliorate their plight.“This market provides employment for many youths and artisans as well as loaders and other casual workers. Today, they have all been rendered jobless.“We call on government to provide soft loans or other interventions to ease the plight of these victims, some of whom obtained bank loans to buy goods for the season’s sales,” he stated.
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