Tragedy struck at Ojoto market in Mile 2 area of Port-Harcourt as fire razed down over 200 shops in the axis.
The incident happened around 9:15 pm when most of the traders had already closed for the day.
Though the cause of the inferno could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, eyewitnesses said it was from an electric spark when the public power supply was restored that night.
Some of them also said some people were cooking in the market which may have ignited the fire.
One of the eyewitnesses, a lady who did not want her name mentioned, said, “There was no light that night. So as soon as light came. We saw an electric spark.
“They said some people were cooking inside the market. So, as soon as that electric spark happened, the fire started in that shop. Before you know it, there was fire everywhere. All the shops burned down.”
Following the incident, the area was thrown into confusion as some of the traders in the market who live nearby raced to see if they could salvage some of their goods to no avail.
Speaking to newsmen about the fire outbreak, the Chairman, Ojoto Market, Arinze Akupue, said nothing was removed from the market, saying he was at home a few minutes to 10pm when a security man called him and that there was flame coming out of the market.
Akupue said after discovering it was a fire outbreak, he put calls across to some people around the market to see what they can do to put out the fire, while he drove to the state fire service.
He stated that at the state fire service, he was advised to go to the Federal Secretariat to inform the Federal fire service, as the state fire service was handicapped.
Akupue disclosed that he drove to the Federal Secretariat where he informed the Federal fire service and their Commander approved immediately and they followed him to the scene.
He debunked claims that there were people storing petroleum products or cooking in the market and condemned the attack on the firefighters.
