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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Millions of naira worth of goods have been destroyed as a mysterious blaze engulfed the Akim timber market, one of the biggest timber markets in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The market is located in the heart of the city, close to the police barracks in Calabar, as well as the Cross River State office of the fire service.
The fire, which started late on Friday evening, damaged several stalls that house different varieties of wood.
Distraught wood dealers who had earlier closed for the day rushed back to the market to try to salvage their wood products.
The cause of the fire is not known, and efforts are ongoing to extinguish the blaze, which is causing serious apprehension among residents of the area.
Some residents within the locality have started abandoning their homes over fears that the fire may not be extinguished in time, as the state lacks functional firefighting trucks.
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ASP Eitokpah Sunday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident, saying efforts to contain the fire are ongoing.
This is the second major fire incident to hit the state capital within the last seven days.
Last weekend, sixty people suffered various degrees of burns when a gas station exploded along Edibe Edibe Road in Calabar.
The inferno, which affected surrounding structures, could not be put out owing to the absence of fire service in the council area.
Emmanuel Ajom, Director of the State Fire Service, had said his fire trucks were under maintenance and, as such, could not respond to the gas fire incident.
He explained that the trucks were procured about 14 years ago and are presently undergoing routine maintenance.
The Akim timber market fire has once again raised concerns about emergency response services in the state.
