Fire Guts Multiple Shops in Anambra Market, Causes Significant Damage

 An early morning fire on Friday gutted multiple shops at the Nkwo Enugu-Ukwu Market Square in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, destroying goods worth millions of naira and marking the sixth such disaster to hit the state in less than a week.

The blaze, which erupted around 3 a.m., primarily affected shops selling provisions and roofing materials. Preliminary investigations by authorities suggest the cause was an electrical surge following the sudden restoration of power to the market.

According to the Anambra State Fire Service, a distress call was received at 3:43 a.m., prompting the immediate dispatch of firefighters and equipment to the scene.

“Firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene and initiated suppression operations upon arrival,” confirmed Chukwudi Chiketa, Head of Media and Publicity for the State Fire Service, in an official statement.

An anonymous shop owner lamented the destruction, citing poor electrical connections as a perennial risk. “Some of the shop owners were called during the night, and when they rushed down, the blaze had already burnt some shops and items before it was brought under control,” the source stated, adding that the cost of the damage was “huge.”

This incident is the latest in a worrying pattern of fires in the state. Recent days have seen a petrol tanker explosion near the Ozubulu LG Secretariat, which claimed one life and destroyed six shops, a factory fire in Nnewi, and a blaze that razed several shops in a three-storey building at Nodu Market, Awka South LGA.

In light of the recurring incidents, the Fire Service has issued a public advisory, urging all shop owners and residents to “conduct immediate and comprehensive electrical inspections to prevent future occurrences.”