Fire Guts Mciver Market In Delta Community

By Oguns Sammy (Warri)

Traders at Mciver Market in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State in the early hours of Tuesday (today) were devastated as strange fire gutted almost half of the market and destroying property worth millions of naira.

Speaking on the development, Chairman of the market, Justice Iroro said he got a call at about 8.10 this morning that the market was on fire and he quickly rushed to scene to discover that it was true.

He said they had to put a call across to fire fighters and together with their efforts, the fire was quenched to a large extent.

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He said: “lt was about 8:10 this morning that l got a call that the market was on fire. l did not know how l got to the market to see things myself. Behold, it was true. I quickly put a call to the fire fighters, but before the fire was put out, the entire shops was razed down.

He said property worth millions of naira have been lost to the inferno just as he called on the state government under the leadership of Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to come to their aid as many of the traders don’t have anything to fall back on.

He said: “l use this medium to appeal to the state government, corporate organizations and individuals to come to our aide because all our earnings have been burnt”.

One of victims who identified herself as Mrs Josephine Ararirhe who deals on slippers and rainboots said she was at home preparing her children for school when she got a call that there was fire in the market, adding that before she got there, all goods have been gutted by the fire.

She said nobody can ascertain the actual remote or immediate cause of the fire.

She however said the traders who deal on kerosene and diesel should be evacuated from the market, adding that the fire is not unconnected to the kerosene and diesels.

She said one could imagine, before one could say Jack and Robinson, the kerosene and diesel traders have disappeared from the market.

Her words: “l was at home preparing my children for school when l heard a call that the market was on fire before l got there, not even a pin left in my goods”.

She therefore appealed to the state government to help build the shops or assist them with finance to enable them bounce back to their business as they have no other hope to take care of their family.

Yet another victim who deals on groundnut, palm oil, garri and starch who identified herself as Mrs Esther Eruragha, said it was all their goods that worth 16 million naira that got lost to the inferno and therefore appealed to the state government, non government organizations and well meaning Nigerians to come to their aid as they have no other person to turn to for help.

She said: “We have lost all we have to the fire; we appeal to the state government to help us to enable us go back to our business.”

Another victim by name, Jude Osuchuckwu said when the fire started, they called on fire fighters, adding that they did not only delay, but in less than fifteen minutes when fighting the fire, their water got finished and resorted to the use of water from the gutter which could not the help the situation.

He therefore appealed to the local, state and federal government to come to their aid as they have lost all they had.

He said: “The situation of the country was tough as there was no money,” adding that this has further worsened their financial predicament.

As at the time of filling this report, particles of the fire were still ranging on while victims were seen wailing.