Tragedy struck in Afikpo town of Ebonyi State in the late hours of Tuesday when a section of the popular Eke market was razed.

Goods worth millions, including shops, were destroyed by the fire outbreak though no life was lost.

The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained but the traders who were taken unawares made frantic efforts to salvage their goods without success because of the intensity of the fire.

Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area, Oby Oko Enyim, visited the scene around 6:35am on Wednesday.

The Council boss, who arrived at the scene of the fire outbreak to ascertain the level of damage, sympathised with the victims.

“So far as there is life, there is hope. Don’t lose hope or give up because of this. You shall all overcome this setback,” she admonished the victims.

Oby Oko Enyim was taken around the scene of the fire disaster by the Chairman of Afikpo Market Traders Association (AMATA), Mr Johnson Inya Oka.

Oka said many of the traders lost everything to the inferno and called on government agencies in charge of disaster management to come to the aid of the victims.

Source: The Nation