Just one week after the tragic truck explosion in Agbor, Ika south local government area, of Delta State another potential disaster was narrowly averted on Saturday night when a fire broke out in the wood section of the Okpanam City Gate building material market in Oshimili north local government area.
The blaze destroyed wood and machinery worth millions of naira.
According to the market chairman, Mr. Chika Ononuju, and his vice, Mr. Solomon Ashibogwu, the incident was reported around 2:00am by individuals unloading goods in the market.
They immediately alerted the State and Federal Fire Services, whose prompt response prevented the fire from consuming the entire market.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, but the chairman ruled out an electrical fault, as there was no power supply in the market at the time.
Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.
A trader whose shop was affected expressed shock and dismay, while many others were still arriving at the market to assess the damage.
Meanwhile, traders worked tirelessly to extinguish lingering smoke and prevent further spread of the fire.
Efforts were also made to salvage undamaged wood and other materials as a precautionary measure.
Credit: Spotnews except headline
