Christmas Day Tragedy: Fire razes equipment, goods worth over N200m in Onitsha

A devastating fire outbreak early Wednesday morning destroyed goods and equipment valued at over ₦200 million at Ibokwu Street, near Old Market Road, Onitsha, Anambra State.  

The blaze reportedly began around 9:15 a.m. when most shop owners were away celebrating Christmas.

Thanks to the efforts of concerned individuals, the fire was contained and prevented from spreading to nearby shops and residential buildings.

However, fire service officials failed to respond to emergency calls during the incident.

The affected shops were part of attachment buildings located at the now-defunct General Post Office in Onitsha. The structure, reportedly sold to a businessman from the state, had previously housed artisans, booksellers, and lawyers.

Sources disclosed that pressure from the new property owner had been mounting, urging tenants in the surrounding areas to vacate.

On Tuesday, some of these individuals were allegedly barred from conducting business within the premises.

When reporters visited the scene at 9:38 a.m., some shop owners were seen salvaging partially burnt goods, while others, whose belongings were completely destroyed, were overcome with grief.

This incident has raised concerns about the state of emergency response in the area, as many believe timely intervention could have minimized the losses.

One of the affected shop owners Chinedu Nnamdi, who also lives close to Ibokwu Street, and the fire incident scene said that he saw smoke from far and thought somebody was burning some waste because they shops were closed for Christmas celebration, not knowing that it was smoke from fire that engulfed their shops, until he was called by his neighbours to come to rescue his things.

Some of the equipment affected are D I Machines, said to cost over N2 million, per one, Fridges and Generators, Computers, printing machines, stationary, and other work equipment different artisans use there.

The cause of the fire incident is not yet known as at the time of filing this report, but some of the eye witnesses who participated in fire fighting to prevent the inferno spreading to nearby houses said it could be as a result of electrical spark.