Fire guts Anambra local market

…..No life lost- ASMATA

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

Fire on Wednesday, reportedly gutted a section of Afor Nnobi local market, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, that has up to 10 shops, but no life was lost in the inferno.

The inferno was said to have been caused by cut off high tension cables that fell on top of make-shift structure, (shop), from where it extended to about 10 shops.

The President General of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, Humphrey Anuna, who reacted to the incident, ordered that all illegal structures bult under the high tension in the market be demolished immediately.

“I thank God that no life was lost, I have been here up to five times last year, telling them to dismantle all the illegal structures built under the high tension but to no avail. Today properties and wares estimated into millions of naira have been lost to the inferno.

“Look at the park in the market, they have built make-shift structures in it under High tension. That is why I ordered for the demolition of the illegal structures built there,” he stated

Also reacting, the chairman of the market, Maduabuchi Ezeoke, who spoke through the former taskforce chairman of the market, Mathew Ogboluogu Nwaneli, recalled that the traders have severally been warned to stop doing business under the high tension.

“With this incident it is a lesson to them that building or selling under high tension is a big risk that can result in sudden death. When the ASMATA PG was telling them last year not to build shops under high tension they taught he was only being jealous of their business.

” He has ordered that all structures built under high tension will be demolished and you can see that some have started to remove them because they have seen that now he is serious. Today shops and wares estimated into millions of naira have been lost to the early morning inferno,” he stated.