By Deborah Nnamdi
A midnight fire has gutted several shops at the Plumbing Material Section of the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
The inferno, which broke out at about 11:55 p.m. on Friday, occurred near the Ogbo-Ogwu Medicine Market along the busy Onitsha-Awka Expressway, close to the River Niger Bridge. The affected market is one of the major commercial hubs in Anambra State.
Eyewitnesses said traders and residents battled frantically to contain the flames before the arrival of firefighters. Although no lives were lost, plumbing materials and other goods estimated to be worth millions of naira were destroyed in an unspecified number of shops.
Some traders lamented that the fire consumed goods accumulated over decades. “The fire started at almost midnight. Security men alerted traders, but before many could get to the market, a substantial part had already been razed,” a witness said, adding that a power surge was suspected though the exact cause remained unknown.
Men of the Anambra State Fire Service eventually arrived at the scene and worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the market. As of Saturday morning, some affected shop owners were seen salvaging burnt items and assessing the extent of their losses.
Confirming the incident in a WhatsApp statement, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Head Bridge Market, Chinedu Ezekwike, described the outbreak as serious but commended the swift response of the Onitsha South Local Government Chairman and fire service personnel.
He also appreciated the Chairman of the Plumbing Material Section, who reportedly rushed from Asaba around 12:15 a.m. to assist in controlling the situation, as well as other individuals who contributed to extinguishing the fire.
The Media and Communication Team of the Anambra State Fire Service, led by Chukwudi Chiketa, also confirmed the incident, noting that while the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained, significant damage was recorded, though many goods were equally salvaged. Firefighters were said to still be at the market as of the time of filing this report.
