Delta: Traders Weep as Fire Consume Ughelli Central Market
By Rufus Ibebe
LAGOS OCTOBER 28TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Traders doing business in Ughelli Central Market, Delta State could not control their tears as they woke up Wednesday morning to discover that their hard earned business had been brought to an abrupt end by a mysterious fire which destroyed their goods and property worth millions of Naira.
The situation was pathetic as there was no one to console them hence father, mother and children affected by the destruction caused by the fire were wailing like a day old baby .
Mostly affected were traders who sell clothes, textile materials and baby wears.
No one could ascertain exactly what lead to the fire but those who noticed the raging inferno affirmed that that it started about 2.00 am on Wednesday.
An eye witness who resides in a street opposite the market however revealed to Urhobotoday an online medium that the actual cause of the fire could be traced to electrical fluctuation from one of the stores hence the fire was noticed few minutes when PHCN restored light to the area.
Another source alleged that someone could had deliberately set fire in one of the stores in order to probably create avenue for looting and stealing.
The fire which was eventually put off by men of the fire service at about 4:10am lasted for over two hours.
One of the victims who simply identify herself as Madam Ejiro who lost million of Naira property to the fire, told Urhobotoday that it was better to die than to have experience what happened to her this morning, adding that she just loaded her store with new supply on Friday.
Her words, “Why would God allow this to happen to me? Why would God allow me to load my store on Friday only for it to get burn today with all the things that I have laboured for all my life. It is better to die than to live”
Another victim, Mrs. Oghenero called on the government to come to their aid saying, “We have lost all that we worked for all these years. I specially call on the government to
please come to our aid so that we can bounce back again.”