A massive fire broke out early Tuesday morning, engulfing a two-storey building that housed the main market Police Station and shops selling lace fabrics in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The inferno caused extensive damage to the building, leaving the area in a state of shock and devastation. Details on the cause of the fire and any casualties are yet to be confirmed.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that firefighters battled for hours to contain the inferno as some of the traders salvaged their goods while others watched in tears as the fire consumed their shops.
Spokesman of Anambra Command of the Police, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said firefighters and policemen were on ground to control the fire and prevent looting.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Director, of Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor replied to the text messages sent to his cell phone.