Fire Guts Three Shops In Abraka, Traders Count Millions In Losses

Abraka — A devastating fire suspected to have been triggered by a lightning strike during a heavy downpour on Friday afternoon destroyed at least three shops in Abraka, Delta State, leaving traders counting losses estimated at millions of naira.

The incident, which occurred in the bustling Campus 1 Small Gate area, threw residents and business owners into panic as thick smoke billowed from the affected structures. The outbreak has also sparked concern among traders, who say it is the second time in two years that a mysterious fire has erupted from the same location.

According to an eyewitness and wood seller, Mr. Goodnews, whose shop was affected by the fire, the incident occurred unexpectedly while business activities were still underway despite the heavy rainfall.

“We were working, trying to deliver wood to a customer. Then there was this heavy rainfall and thunder began to strike. The next thing I heard was someone shouting, ‘There is fire at your back! Fire there on your back!’” he recounted.

The blaze spread rapidly, engulfing three adjoining shops before it could be brought under control.

A major source of concern for victims is the reported origin of the fire. Traders alleged that the inferno started from a locked-up shop belonging to a female foam dealer who has been away in her village for more than three months due to illness.

According to them, the shop had remained closed throughout the period, effectively ruling out cooking activities or any immediate form of human negligence.

More troubling, however, is the claim that a similar fire outbreak occurred from the same shop two years ago.

“The fire came from that same foam woman’s shop. Two years ago, it happened like that. Back then, nobody helped me. I had to repair my shop myself and rebuild my business from scratch,” Goodnews lamented.

ALSO READ: Integrity Group Appoints Evelyn Oboro As Senior Political Adviser In Delta

Meanwhile, the owner of one of the affected furniture workshops, whose name could not be immediately obtained, expressed frustration over the recurring incident.

According to him, he was yet to fully recover from the losses suffered during the previous fire outbreak two years ago before being hit by another disaster.

“Is this the only place where there are shops in Abraka? I am yet to recover from what happened two years ago and now this is happening again,” he lamented.

Witnesses said passersby rushed to assist the furniture maker by evacuating some items from the workshop. However, their efforts could only save a fraction of the property as the fire had already engulfed part of the building.

An eyewitness noted that the furniture maker would have suffered even greater losses if not for the fact that his showroom, where he displays completed furniture, is located across the road from the workshop.

“He is lucky to have his showroom across the road where he keeps his finished products; otherwise, his losses would have been much worse,” the witness said.

Although no official estimate of the damage has been released, affected traders said the fire destroyed valuable wood, building materials, equipment, roofing structures and other merchandise. A furniture workshop was also among the businesses affected by the inferno.

The financial losses are believed to run into millions of naira.

Following the incident, the landlord of the property visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage, while officers from the local police division, acting on the directive of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), commenced preliminary investigations into the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding previous outbreaks at the location.

As of the time of filing this report, affected traders were calling for urgent measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident, expressing concerns over the repeated outbreak of fire from the same location within a two-year period.