Some Shops at Samek Junction, Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State were completely razed by fire on Thursday morning, POLITICS NIGERIA has learned.
If not for traders who came out in their numbers to help stop the fire from spreading to the other side of the market, the devastation caused by the inferno would have been enormous. Several goods worth millions were lost to the flames.
Emergency services are currently on ground accessing the cause of the Incident.
Ariaria International Market is an open-air market located in Aba, nicknamed “China of Africa”.
It is known for its shoemaking and leather works, thus making it one of the largest leather shoe-making markets in West Africa with an estimated two million traders. Manufacturers in the market boast that their clientele base extends beyond the shores of Africa.
Media reports showed that between 2019 and 2021, Nigeria experienced severe fire incidents, leading to 79 deaths out of 68 fires recorded in 18 months.
Also, statistics from the Federal Fire Service (FFS) indicates that between 2020 and 2021, a total of 4,541 calls were made to the agency nationwide and 378 rescue emergencies were recorded.
See photos of the damaging effects of the fire outbreak below:
