150 Rendered Homeless As Fire Razes Homes And Shops

About 150 persons were in the early hours of
Thursday rendered homeless when fire razed 10
houses and 15 shops at Afor Nkpor market in the
Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
Worst hit by inferno was the largest electrical shop
in the area as electrical appliances worth millions
of naira were lost.
The inferno, which eyewitnesses said started
around 3.00 a.m., destroyed properties estimated
at about N500 million.
A resident in the area, Pat Agbata, said the inferno
might have been caused by high electricity
voltage, as power in the area had been epileptic for
some time.
A woman who said she was the owner of a row of
shops affected by the inferno, Mrs. Rita Odebeaku,
said; “I woke up after hearing wailings and shouts
from people. When I saw that the entire shops and
some residential apartments have been engulfed, I
started crying because I have no other means of
livelihood.
“I am a widow and one of those that sell electrical
appliances in one of the shops I built lost
everything. The inferno has dealt another blow on
me since the death of my husband."
The largest electrical dealer in the area, Mr. Ifeanyi
Ezejiofor, said: “I have been here for about 35
years and I started this electrical business with
N800 before it grew to millions and I have lost
more than N5 million to the inferno.
“I urged the state government and individuals to
come to my aid because I am finished. It was a
high voltage current from another shop that caused
this disaster."