CRIME NEWS

Ochanja Market fire kills Sunday Obi, burns 5 in Onitsha as 15 shops razed

 

www.odogwublog.com reports that Ochanja shoe Market early morning fire in Onitsha, Anambra State killed one victim, Sunday Obi , a fire service man, injuring five others even as 15 shops were gutted. He died when the building he climbed to have better spray of water collapsed.

At a private hospital in Onitsha , the medical Director, Gabriel Menakaya said the victims were responding to treatment and thanked spirited individuals for their sense of safety in emergencies.

This is Governor Willie Obiano after visiting the victims assured to offset the medical bills and thanked the medical doctor attending to them , Menakaya for his sense of judgment to save life first before bills.

Obiano announced setting up of an investigative panel to probe into the remote and immediate causes of the fire incident and ways to avert future occurrence especially when incidences of fire outbreak have been reported thrice from the market.

 He added that he would provide fire fighting vehicle to the traders and urged them to avoid act capable of bringing dispute to the markets in the state.

 Obiano sympathized with the victims especially the family of the fire service man who died on active service to humanity as he died on the process of assisting to put of the fire.

According to eye witness, the fire incident were of two segments, the first fire started by 5pm on Sunday evening and the security operatives in the market battled and quenched it.

The Eye witness, a security operative in the market said, "N1.5million was recovered from the shop and handed over to the owner of the shop”.

“The second fire started about 3am yesterday from one of the shops and extended to about 15 of them despite the efforts of the fire service men and others who battled to quench the inferno” he revealed further.

He said that the man that died was one of the fire service officials from Onitsha Main Market who came to quench the inferno.
"He met his untimely death when he climbed a storey building to spread the water to the inferno from there but unfortunately for him, the building collapsed and he died on the process.
Another official of the fire service broke one of his legs also and was among the five that sustained various degrees of injuries.

The Anambra Fire Service on Monday lost one of its staff while fighting the inferno that gutted the Ochanja Market, Onitsha.
The Acting Director of the service, Mr Innocent Mbonu, who confirmed the death of the staff, however, refused to give his name.
Mbonu explained that a storey building in the market collapsed on two of his staff in an attempt to stop the fire, adding that one died instantly while the other was receiving treatment at a hospital.
“Five other persons sustained various degrees of injury while 15 shops, mostly shoe shops, were razed during the inferno,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Ali Okechukwu, said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained.
“The governor was there. When government comes out with its report on the cause of the fire, we shall all know but the place is calm now,” Okechukwu said.
Reacting, a member of the market’s vigilance group said that the fire started at about 3 a.m. from a shop line and extended to other areas.
The security guard, who pleaded anonymity, said that efforts by the firemen and others to put out the fire were unsuccessful.
“The fireman met his untimely death when he climbed a storey building to spray water but unfortunately for him, the building collapsed and he was consumed by fire.
“Another official of the fire service broke his leg and was among the five that sustained various degrees of injury,” the source said.
An eyewitness further disclosed that a cash of N1.5 million was recovered in one of the shops and was handed over to the owner of the shop.
Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, who rushed to the fire scene early in the day, said he would set up an investigative panel to find the immediate and remote causes of the fire outbreak.
Obiano said that he would provide a fire-fighting vehicle and other equipment and urged the traders to be calm.


The Anambra Fire Service on Monday lost one of its staff while fighting the inferno that gutted the Ochanja Market, Onitsha.
The Acting Director of the service, Mr Innocent Mbonu, who confirmed the death of the staff, however, refused to give his name.
Mbonu explained that a storey building in the market collapsed on two of his staff in an attempt to stop the fire, adding that one died instantly while the other was receiving treatment at a hospital.
“Five other persons sustained various degrees of injury while 15 shops, mostly shoe shops, were razed during the inferno,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Ali Okechukwu, said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained.
“The governor was there. When government comes out with its report on the cause of the fire, we shall all know but the place is calm now,” Okechukwu said.
Reacting, a member of the market’s vigilance group said that the fire started at about 3 a.m. from a shop line and extended to other areas.
The security guard, who pleaded anonymity, said that efforts by the firemen and others to put out the fire were unsuccessful.
“The fireman met his untimely death when he climbed a storey building to spray water but unfortunately for him, the building collapsed and he was consumed by fire.
“Another official of the fire service broke his leg and was among the five that sustained various degrees of injury,” the source said.
An eyewitness further disclosed that a cash of N1.5 million was recovered in one of the shops and was handed over to the owner of the shop.
Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, who rushed to the fire scene early in the day, said he would set up an investigative panel to find the immediate and remote causes of the fire outbreak.
Obiano said that he would provide a fire-fighting vehicle and other equipment and urged the traders to be calm.