Goods Worth Millions Destroyed As Fire Guts Onitsha Market

Tragedy struck in the Onitsha area of Anambra following the outbreak of a fire at the White House section of the main Market.

Channels Television reports that the fire started in the early hours of Tuesday in the popular market situated in the Onitsha Local Government Area of the state. It led to the loss of several goods worth millions of naira.

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Onitsha Main Market, famed to be the biggest market in West Africa, hosts a large population of traders, who are mainly importers of goods, and who also deals in varied products.

According to some traders who raised the alarm over the fire, the incident started near the Gwongworo section of the large market.

The White House is the office of the leaders of the market, an expansive two-story building that houses several offices, and halls for meetings on the first and second floor, while the ground floor hosts shops.

Sources said the area, mostly affected by the fire is the block of shops under the White House, where expensive lace materials are sold.

However, the State Fire chief, Mr Martin Agbili, is yet to react to the unfortunate incident. But traders and other support groups have mobilised to put out the fire.

Normalcy has returned to the market but many traders are counting their losses.