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In the early hours of Wednesday, a devastating fire outbreak ravaged four shops at the Nkwo Market in Umunze, located in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. Eyewitnesses attributed the inferno to a suspected power surge, which ignited the blaze, causing extensive damage to the affected shops.
Despite the valiant efforts of the state fire service personnel, who promptly responded to the distress call, the fire raged for several hours before being brought under control. By the time our correspondent visited the scene, affected traders were seen salvaging the remnants of their burnt properties, comprising mainly provision shops, plastic shops, and attachments shops.
While thankfully no lives were lost during the incident, the financial toll was significant, with goods and properties destroyed in the wake of the fire. This incident adds to a series of recent fire outbreaks in the state, including two recorded on Friday at a residential building in Rockland Estate, Awka, and at a telecommunication mast in Agu Awka.
According to Martin Agbili, the chief of the state fire service, the firefighters received the distress call at approximately 1:20 am and swiftly deployed to the scene. With the assistance of traders and members of the public, they managed to contain and extinguish the blaze. While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, a suspected power surge is being investigated as a potential trigger.
In light of these incidents, Agbili emphasized the importance of precautionary measures, urging residents to switch off electrical and electronic appliances when not in use to mitigate the risk of power surges and subsequent fire outbreaks.
