Fire razes over 15 shops at Ikpoba Hill Market

A Saturday night inferno destroyed goods worth millions of naira at a section of Ikpoba Hill Market in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

Tribune Online learnt that the inferno, which started at about 9 pm on Saturday night, razed well over 15 shops, mainly caravans at the popular market.

One of the shop owners, who was simply identified as Tony, was said to have collapsed as the fire completely razed his electronic shop in the market and he was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

Narrating the incident to newsmen, a witness, identified as Mr Peter, said, “at about 9 pm, we saw smoke billow from one of the shops and before we know what was happening, the whole place was engulfed in fire.”

According to him, the firefighters who arrived moments later after the fire started, couldn’t salvage the goods, as the fire had already engulfed the shops, which were mainly make-shifts and razed goods worth millions of naira.

The shop owners who got to the market on hearing the news were also said to be helpless due to the intensity of the flame.

The shop owners, bemoaning their losses, declined to talk to newsmen, saying it was pointless talking about the incident because they would not get any help from the government or individuals. Most of the affected shops were illegal structures.

A sympathiser, Mr John Izu, said they were still wondering what must have caused the fire, as there was no electricity in the area, and blamed the fire service officials, who he alleged did not arrive on time to salvage the shops.

“This is an electronic shop and goods here worth over N10 million. I know the owner and he is currently at the hospital because of the incident,” he said.

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The last time Nigeria recorded such a low figure was in the December 27 to January 2 week, when it reported 5,681 cases…Fire razes over 15 shops at Ikpoba Hill Market

Fire razes over 15 shops at Ikpoba Hill Market