Goods worth millions were destroyed during a fire outbreak in the popular Ogbe-Ijoh market located in Warri South council area of Delta State on Sunday, January 23, 2022.
The on-the-spot assessment revealed that most goods, ranging from frozen foods, boutiques, food stuff like bags of rice, beans, onions, and dried fish among others were lost to the inferno, which affected scores of stalls and shops.
Though the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, it was gathered that it started around 2pm.
By 4pm, a crowd had gathered around the market with victims crying over their losses.
Although security operatives were on ground to control the crowd and avert looting of wares, some of the crowd were sighted trying to salvage what was left from the inferno.
A fire fighter truck had already expended its content and was returning for a refill while the fire raged on in other parts of the market, with owners looking on helplessly.
Cyril Kokarhaye, the divisional secretary, Red Cross, Warri South Division, who swiftly led his team to the scene of the inferno, said no casualty had been recorded so far.
He noted that the number of shops and stalls affected by the inferno was yet to be ascertained.
As of the time of filing this report, two trucks of firefighters had arrived the scene and were battling to put out the fire.
This is coming barely one month after a similar incident occurred on December 19, 2021, at Miller Water side where fortunes were lost to an inferno allegedly caused by an expended cigarette.
Source: The Nation
