Fire destroys goods worth ₦300m at Mgbuka Obosi mechanic village

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Sunny A. David, Awka

A mysterious early morning fire over the weekend razed the Mgbuka Obosi Mechanic Village in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, destroying goods estimated at about ₦300 million.

The inferno, which reportedly started around 2 a.m. on Saturday, caused extensive damage to property, including two vehicles, numerous Lister generating sets, about 300 wheelbarrows, and several car engines.

Sympathizing with the affected traders, the President-General of the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association (ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna, urged the victims to remain hopeful, assuring them that efforts would be made to seek assistance for them. He noted that many of those affected are small-scale traders struggling to make a living.

Anuna suggested that the fire may have been caused by illegal electrical connections within the market and cautioned traders against such practices to prevent future occurrences. He added that he would report the incident to the state government to explore possible ways of supporting the victims in rebuilding their businesses.

Speaking on the incident, the Vice Chairman of the mechanic village, Uchechukwu Ochuba, confirmed that firefighters responded promptly after the fire outbreak.

“The fire started about 2 a.m., and the fire service arrived around 3 a.m. They did their best. I cannot say exactly what caused the fire, but there are many inflammable materials in the market. We are appealing to the government for assistance,” he said.

Another victim, Miracle Igwe, lamented the heavy losses incurred, stating that many engines were destroyed and calling on the government to provide support to enable traders resume business.

Similarly, the sub-chairman of the market, Jude Okeke, said he received a distress call around 2 a.m. and met the market engulfed in flames upon arrival.

“We lost about ₦300 million worth of goods. Some traders lost ₦20 million, others ₦10 million or ₦5 million. People are devastated and in tears,” he said.

Authorities are yet to officially determine the cause of the fire as affected traders continue to count their losses and appeal for urgent intervention.