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Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Parts of Umuahia Timber Marke in Abia, yesterday, was gutted by fire with goods worth millions of naira destroyed.
The fire affected mostly traders at the wood and machine section of the Market.
A witness said the fire would have wrecked more havoc if fire service personnel had not arrived the scene early to save goods worth over N2 billion.
The leadership of the market said they lost 53 shops, 48 machines and other valuables to the inferno.
Although the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, traders speculate it could have been ignited by bush fire around the market.
Chairman of the market union, Mr. Austin Onyenweaku said it took the combined efforts of the state Fire Service personnel and traders to bring the fire under control.
“We cannot say exactly the cause of the fire or when it started. We only got a phone call around 1pm that the market was on fire.
“By the time we got here, the entire timber section was engulfed by the inferno,” Onyenweaku said.
He said the level of destruction could have been worse if the fire service did not respond on time.
Addressing the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Cosmos Ndukwe, who was at the market to ascertain the extent of damage, Onyenweaku said that they lost millions of property to the fire.
Abia Fire Service Chief, Mr. Gbaruko Victor confirmed the fire incident and called on residents to be safety conscious.
According to him, the state fire service was committed to attending to fire crisis as soon as it is reported.
He, however, urged residents to ensure that they switched off electrical appliances in homes and busines premises and also avoid storing inflammable materials that could trigger fire outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the victims have appealed to the Abia government to come to their help to enable them to return to business.
Chairman of Umuahia Timber Dealers Association, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwogu, who made the appeal said members suffered “colossal loss to the fire” and would require some form of financial assistance from the government to enable them to resume business.
Some of the traders said colleagues whose goods were destroyed had travelled to their villages for Christmas and New Year holidays and called for financial assistance from the state government to ameliorate their plight.
The commissioner described the New Year day fire as “a very bad way to begin the year.”
He commiserated with the victims and assured them that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu would visit the market to see things for himself.
“The governor asked me immediately he got the information to come here and see you and also ascertain the level of damage.
“He also asked me to convey his condolences to the leadership of the market and victims of the fire,” he said.
Ndukwe promised that the state government would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the cause of the fire.
He charged the leadership of the market to always take proactive measures, especially during the harmatan, to avoid fire outbreak.
