A late-night fire outbreak has ravaged sections of the popular Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, destroying goods worth millions of naira and leaving several traders counting heavy losses.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, affected the Plumbing Materials section of the market, located near the Ogbo-Ogwu Medicine Market along the busy Onitsha-Awka Expressway.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started shortly before midnight on Friday, spreading rapidly through shops before emergency responders arrived.
“The fire began around 11:55 pm,” a trader at the scene said. “Security personnel alerted shop owners, but before many could get there, a large part of the section had already been consumed.”
Traders and residents reportedly made frantic efforts to contain the flames before officials of the Anambra State Fire Service intervened to prevent further destruction.
Although no lives were lost in the incident, affected traders were seen salvaging burnt goods and assessing the scale of their losses, many of which they described as devastating.
“We are still trying to figure out what caused it,” another eyewitness explained. “But there are suspicions it might be linked to a power surge.”
Confirming the incident, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market, Chinedu Ezekwike, said the fire was brought under control through a coordinated response involving local authorities and emergency services.
“There was a serious fire outbreak at the Plumbing Materials section of Head Bridge Market,” he said. “We immediately contacted the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government, who responded swiftly and mobilised fire service personnel to the scene.”
Ezekwike commended stakeholders for their prompt intervention, noting that their efforts helped to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the market.
“I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who contributed to ensuring the fire was extinguished,” he added. “Their timely actions made a significant difference.”
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the cause of the fire.
Head Bridge Market, a major commercial hub in Anambra State, is known for its high concentration of traders dealing in various goods, making incidents like this particularly devastating for livelihoods.
