Traders and shop owners at the store line in Etta Agbor, located in Calabar South Local Government Area, suffered massive losses after a fierce fire tore through 10 shops in Cross River State.
The inferno, which started around 9 p.m. yesterday, consumed goods estimated to be worth millions of naira, leaving traders helpless and nearby residents in panic.
Eyewitnesses said the fire spread rapidly through the shops, destroying products stored inside despite desperate efforts by locals to salvage their merchandise.
One witness, Emmanuel Okon, said, “We tried everything, but the fire was too much. Within minutes, the whole place was gone. People lost all their goods.”
It was gathered that calls made by eyewitnesses to the state fire service proved abortive, as no rescue team arrived until the shops had been completely razed.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
Efforts to contact the Cross River State Fire Service were unsuccessful, as their numbers were unreachable.
