On Friday night, April 29, 2016, Ogbegonogo Marketers suffered agony as fire destroyed goods worth millions of naira in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Our reporter witnessed traders were seen wailing as the inferno consumed sections of the market before the arrival of the State Fire Service officials in company of security agents.
The fire started at the Umuaji line at about 7:00 pm and lasted for about two hours, destroying over 30 shops while wares valued at millions of naira were burnt to rubbles.
The inferno started when electric cables sparked fire and spread to other parts of the markets.
Fire service fighters, who later arrives the scene, and battling the inferno while men of the Nigerian police force were seen controlling traffic and ensuring that hoodlums do not take advantage of the situation to loot shops.
Shop owners were also seen running helter skelter to salvage their goods and shops from destroying while others stood helpless watching the fire ravaging the shops.
One of the shop owner who identified himself as Emeka, told our correspondent that he just returned from Aba market where he spent close to a million to purchase goods to stock in his shop.
Another shop owner, Mrs. Mary Ejiofor who deals on expensive clothing materials, told our correspondent, “Where will I start from, now that schools have resumed and my husband just paid huge amount as rent”, she said.
As at the time of filing this report on Friday night, traders were still counting their losses while men of the fire service and the police were still on ground battling to put the situation under control.
