Fire Guts 20 Marian Market Shops In Calabar

Fire yesterday gutted a section of Ika-ka Oqua Market, popularly called Marian market in Calabar Municipality

About 20 shops were razed in the inferno. 

This came barely 24 hours after a fire outbreak killed one person and razed some buildings in Calabar South.

Daily Sun investigations revealed that the inferno was caused by a power surge from one of the high tension wires which sparked off fire and subsequently gutted some shops.

It was discovered that most shops at A-line numbering about 20 and some kiosks were affected by the fire outbreak.

When Daily Sun visited the scene, some traders were seen trying to put off the fire with water and detergent in a bid to curtail further spreading of the fire. 

Besides, some victims were seen trying to salvage part of their goods before the fire spread to their shops.

One of the victims, Mrs Imagining Okon, said: “I have lost all my goods worth over N5 million to the inferno. I also lost about about N1.5 million l left in the shop since bank was not working. 

“We made fruitless calls to fire service people and they couldn’t come on time because they said they don’t have the resources to put out the fire. This is bad year for those of us affected because we are all starting afresh.”

As at the time of filing thie report, the police and other security operatives were seen around trying to safe guard the market.