A large fire erupted at the well-known Nnewi Electrical Market in Anambra State, throwing traders into panic as they rushed to rescue their goods from the rapidly spreading blaze.
The fire, which reportedly started on Wednesday morning, is currently ripping through several shops and warehouses stocked with expensive electrical components and spare parts.
According to SaharaReporters, eyewitnesses at the scene, who spoke on telephone, said that the fire gained momentum rapidly, fuelled by the highly combustible nature of the goods in the market.
Distraught traders were seen weeping and making frantic efforts to move their wares to safety, while others braved the thick black smoke to battle the flames with buckets of water and sand.
“People are losing everything! We need the Fire Service here immediately,” one shop owner cried out. “If they don’t arrive now, the entire market will be gone.”
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire remains unknown. However, there are growing concerns over the delayed arrival of the Anambra State Fire Service.
Traders and residents in the industrial town have intensified their calls to the state government and emergency responders to deploy firefighting trucks to the scene before the inferno spreads to neighboring residential buildings and other sections of the market.
Nnewi, known as the “Japan of Africa” for its thriving industrial and spare parts trade, has recorded similar fire incidents in the past, often attributed to electrical surges or improper storage of flammable materials.