By 
The White House area of the Onitsha Market in Anambra State has experienced a fire incident.
The area, known as “Gbongboro” in local parlance, at Onitsha is situated at the back of the market and functions as a warehouse as well as a place to sell lace and other clothing items.
The fire, which broke out early on Tuesday at the Onitsha market, has damaged things worth millions of naira, but no one has been able to determine what set it off.
The shopkeepers could be seen frantically asking for the fire service men while trying to save the last of their merchandise.
“The fire started inside the White House where they sell lace supplies,” one eyewitness claimed. The area was intended to be a motor park and an emergency escape, however, due to the approval of some government bodies, people obstructed it with illegitimate structures. Even when the fire department arrives, there might not be an easy way in for them to start putting out the fire. Even the traders were unable to enter to save their goods, which caused the fire to rage on.
As of the time of posting this story at approximately 9:20 am, the fire was still raging and Martin Agbili, the state fire chief, could not be reached for comments.
The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, responded to a request for comment by saying, “The details are still hazy but the situation is being monitored and firefighting personnel and police are there. Additional information must be shared.
In the wee hours of Tuesday, a mystery fire broke out in the major market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Onitsha’s Main Market is claimed to be the largest market in West Africa. It is home to a sizable community of traders, most of whom are importers of commodities and deal in a wide range of goods.
According to a source who raised the alarm, Mr. Barth Ifediora, the fire started early on Tuesday morning in the White House part of the market.
The White House is a large, two-story building that houses a number of offices as well as spaces for meetings on its first and second floors. On its ground floor, businesses are located.
According to a source, “the block of businesses under the white house, where valuable lace materials are sold, is the area most devastated by the fire.”
As of the time this story was filed, Martin Agbili, the head of the fire department in Anambra State, could not be reached.
Nonetheless, traders gathered in the market to put out the fire.
