A late-night fire erupted at the Ogbosisi Timber Market in the Onitsha area of Anambra State on Wednesday, destroying several goods and causing panic among traders.
Videos of the incident, shared by an X user identified as Omaletocracy, captured the raging flames as traders frantically tried to salvage their goods. The user captioned the video, “Head bridge mkt Onitsha is on fire 18/12/2024.”
Confirming the incident on Thursday morning, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that no lives were lost. He noted that the swift response by the police and fire service helped to bring the situation under control.
Ikenga added, “The swift response of the Police and Fire service operatives to the outbreak at Ogbosisi on 18/12/2024 by 8:45 pm brought the situation under control. Police operatives have cordoned off the scene to prevent hoodlums from taking undue advantage of the situation to loot properties and goods.”
He further revealed that investigations into the cause of the fire are underway, and the value of the goods destroyed is yet to be determined.
No casualties were reported, and the affected traders are counting their losses as authorities work to ascertain the extent of the damage.