TRADERS at the popular Labawo Market, Ogunpa, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State were in tears yesterday. Their warepoints, including four buildings and 50 stalls were ravaged by fire.
Gone in the dawn inferno were properties estimated at several millions of naira.
However, there was no life lost in the fire that erased the means of livelihood of many
The market, reputed for all sorts of chemicals, leather and building materials, is situated in Ibadan Northwest Local Government Area of the state.
The fire, which began at about 9am, gutted four houses, including three bungalows and a storey building.
About 50 shops, stocked with assorted materials like household furniture and other goods were destroyed.
The buildings had their roofs, windows and ceilings badly affected. Tthe chemical section as well as the shops of those selling keys, padlocks and paints, were razed.
Many of the shop owners wailed uncontrollably, rolling on the ground.
Helpless, they watched on as the fire spread from one shop to the other.
Some of them made frantic efforts to alert their neighbours, who were yet to open for the day’s business.
Youths, forming themselves into a rescue team, were able to salvage some itemss before fire fighters from the Oyo State Fire Service and some sympathizers arrived at the scene to put out the fire.
The fire fighters, who came in four trucks, battled for several hours before they succeeded in putting it off.
There were complaints of water shortage.
Mr. Kareem Oyegunle Gafari, the Director of Fire Service in the Pacesetter State, promised to investigate the cause of the fire.
According to him, the cause could not be ascertained immediately .
But an eye witness alleged that the fire broke out as one of the traders tried to fill a plastic container with chemical gum
The witness said: “A trader in the chemical section is trying to fill a customer’s jerry can with gum and suddenly, fire broke out. And you know, there are lots of explosives in the area.”
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