Fire razes over 100 stalls, destroys goods worth millions of naira in Warri

A Sunday afternoon inferno has destroyed over 100 stalls and shops, ruining goods worth millions of naira in Ogbe-Ijoh Market located around Warri Main Market in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

This is coming barely one month after a similar incident occurred on December 19, 2021, at Miller Waterside where fortunes were lost to an inferno allegedly caused by an expended cigarette.

The Sunday fire, which cause is yet to be ascertained, sources said, started around 1:30 p.m when stall and shop owners were hardly through with worship services in their various religious centres.

When our reporter got to the scene at about 3:30 p.m, a mammoth crowd was seen milling around the entire circumference of the Ogbe-Ijoh Market with victims who have lost fortunes wailing at the top of their voices.

Although some soldiers were seen keeping the crowd in check to avert a stampede and further looting of wares, some of the crowd were still sighted helping themselves with some goods half-burnt and leftover by the fire.

A firefighter truck had already expended its content and was returning to refill while the fire raged on in other parts of the market with owners helpless.

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On-the-spot assessment revealed that most goods, ranging from chicken and turkeys in cold rooms, boutiques, perishable goods like bags of rice, beans, onions, among others were lost to the inferno.

Some victims, due to emotional imbalance, refused to speak to our correspondent.

One of the victims, who was accosted but declined comments, had engaged some wheelbarrow-pushing youths from the north to salvage what’s left in her cold room where she had stocked frozen foods.

Meanwhile, the Divisional Secretary, Red Cross, Warri South Division, Cyril Kokarhaye, who swiftly led his team to the scene of the inferno, said there was no human casualty so far.

According to him, the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as well as the number of shops and stalls affected by the inferno.

As of the time of filing the report, two trucks of firefighters had arrived at the scene and battling to put out the fire.

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Fire razes over 100 stalls, destroys goods worth millions of naira in Warri

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Fire razes over 100 stalls, destroys goods worth millions of naira in Warri