Onitsha – Traders at a plaza located at plastic market at Amobi street, Onitsha, are counting hundreds of millions in losses after fire razed down the plaza on Friday morning.
According to some persons living nearby, the fire which started at about 1:50am today, may have been caused by an electrical fault from one of the shops in the plaza.
TNC correspondent in Anambra, reports that the plaza, as well as the entire Amobi street, is fraught with all kinds of illegal electrical connections.
It was gathered that Police operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station Onitsha, Ifeanyi Iburu had arrived the scene while the fire lasted and cordoned off the area to prevent looting and further catastrophe.
Men of the State Fire Service were equally contacted and they arrived the scene and commenced efforts to put out the fire with the support of sympathizers, but not before so much damage had been done by the fire.
No life was lost in the inferno.
Some traders in the market who were visibly shaken at the damage done by the fire, lamented the huge loss they suffered as a result of the incident.
They appealed to government to immediately come to their aid in rebuilding the structure and starting life afresh, as they lost almost all they had to the fire.
A young man who appeared to be in his mid-20s, who spoke to our correspondent, revealed that he was only settled by his master last year December and he had plunged the entire money in purchasing goods to stock up a shop he rented at the plaza.
“All those goods are now gone!” he cried.
He expressed doubt as to how he would overcome the disaster and start life again, regretting that his seven years of apprenticeship, is now a waste.
