Christmas day inferno: Equipment, goods worth over N200m destroyed in Onitsha fire outbreak

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Equipment and goods worth over N200.000,000, were Wednesday morning destroyed by fire outbreak at Ibokwu Street, by Old Market Road, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The fire incident which was said to have started by 9:15 am when the shop owners were at home to celebrate Christmas, was prevented from spreading to nearby houses and shops by good spirited individuals as no fire fighting officials responded to calls to them.

The affected shop destroyed by fire were attachment buildings at the defunct General Post Office Onitsha, said to have been sold to a business man from Anambra State, who ejected artisans book sellers and lawyers occupying the magnificent building and some occupying space inside the Post Office premises.

There have been pressure from the new owners of the structure for people during business in the attached buildings to quit the surroundings, some said they were prevented from doing their respective business on Tuesday by owners of the structure.

When Newsmen visited the scene of the fire incident by 9:38 am, some people were seen trying to salvage some of their goods that were half burnt, while others who found nothing to rescue were seen crying profusely.

One of the affected shop owners Chinedu Nnamdi, who also lives close to Ibokwu Street, and the fire incident scene said that he saw smoke from far and thought somebody was burning some waste because they shops were closed for Christmas celebration, not knowing that it was smoke from fire that engulfed their shops, until he was called by his neighbours to come to rescue his things.

Some of the equipment affected are D I Machines, said to cost over N2 million, per one, Fridges and Generators, Computers, printing machines, stationary, and other work equipment different artisans use there.

The cause of the fire incident is not yet known as at the time of filing this report, but some of the eye witnesses who participated in fire fighting to prevent the inferno spreading to nearby houses said it could be as a result of electrical spark.