A fire outbreak has destroyed shops in Afia Nkwo Market, Isiama Ohafia, in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.
The fire, which occurred on Friday morning, destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
Some of the victims who spoke to newsmen lamented that they had recently restocked their shops for the Christmas and New Year sales season, only to find their shops in ruins after the inferno.
They appealed to the Abia State government for assistance to mitigate their losses.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, who is an indigene of Ohafia, has commiserated with the victims and expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fire incident.
Emetu promised to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the affected area to ascertain the extent of the damage as well as explore possible support and rehabilitation of the market infrastructure.
He noted that while the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, the government assures all stakeholders that necessary measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future, as the safety and well-being of Abia citizens and residents remain a top priority.
