
A mysterious fire has engulfed the popular “Afia Mgbede” section of the Nnewi Auto Spare Parts Market in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria, leaving goods and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, wreaked havoc on the market as traders and residents looked on helplessly.
A video circulating online shows towering flames consuming high-rise market buildings with no intervention from either the state or federal fire services.
In the video, a distressed voice could be heard lamenting, “Afia Mgbede is on fire now. This is early Tuesday morning. Motor parts are burning. All of Afia Mgbede motor parts market is completely engulfed. We don’t have Fire Service in Anambra State, and it is very unfortunate.”
Although the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, eyewitness accounts suggest it started during the night.
Speaking to reporters, a local resident, Sunday David, clarified that the blaze did not affect the entire Nnewi Auto Spare Parts Market but was confined to the “Afia Mgbede” section, a prominent hub for motor spare parts.
When contacted, Anambra State Police Command spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga stated that he was not aware of the incident, saying, “There is no such report before me.”
As investigations into the incident commence, traders and residents continue to count their losses while calling for improved emergency response infrastructure to prevent future occurrences.
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