A chemical warehouse located at No. 4 Ajasi Street Onitsha, Onitsha North Local Government Area Anambra, owned by a widow, Mrs Mary Mazeli, was reportedly destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Saturday.
According to Vanguard, an eye witness, Mrs Agom Iweanya (nee Mazeli,) said the fire started around 2 am and destroyed equipments, generator and grinding machine.
According to Mrs. Agom Iweanya, “The building belongs to my late father and it is being managed now by my mother Mrs. Mary Mazeli, who is aged now and indisposed to talk to the press.
“It was around 12am or some minutes past that time that somebody raised the alarm that smoke was coming out from the warehouse. Before we came out because we are living behind the warehouse, fire had engulfed the warehouse and all the trading shops attached to the building.
“You know that this Ajasa Street market is where you can get all type of foods stuffs and ingredient used in cooking by families, unlike Osee Okwodu Market, next to it and known for other house hold goods and beverages sales where you have block stores.
“As the fire started spreading to shops attached to this our house, housing the chemical shop, people started calling the men of the state fire service who came and put it off before it speed to other buildings.
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Although it was only the chemical warehouse that got burnt, but it affected other shops belonging to traders of food stuffs, and other cooking materials.
“Some people like my self los things as grinding machine, each of them is not less that N200,000, others lost Power gerenator sets worth’s over N300,000.”
Mrs Iweanya however, could not explain the kind of chemical substances in the warehouse as it is not the line of her business, but she stated that what the family and other petty food stuff traders have lost, including the goods in the chemical warehouse, the loss they have incurred is not less than N300,000 million.
“The owner of the chemical warehouse was lamenting bitterly because he just brought in goods for this seasons sale and from what he was saying while lamenting his loss, what he has in that warehouse destroyed by fire is worth more than N250, million naira.”
A small and medium business operator, Mr Patrick Egbe, who also lost some machines and grinding equipment, told Vanguard that he is confused of what to do as everything he use in running his grinding business has been destroyed. He pleaded with the Anambra State government and good spirited individuals to come to their aid.
The Anambra State Fire Service boss Engr. Martin Agbali, confirmed the incident, saying that they got a distress call at about 0102hrs of Saturday 17-12-2022, they deployed their men.
“Anambra State Fire Service, received a distress call of fire outbreak at No 4 Ajasa Street, Onitsha, where they sell drums of chemical.
“Immediately, we deployed our fire truck and our ever ready and fearless firefighters to the fire scene. We swung into action, battled the fire, controlled and fought it to standstill.
“The cause of the fire was unknown as nobody was there when it started. Although, the fire destroyed about three 3 shops, but no life was lost during the heavy fire. A lot were saved as we prevented the fire from spreading to other shops around the fire incident scene”
via: Information Nigeria
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