By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
Several persons were reportedly injured with about four burnt to death as fire gutted Onitsha Chemical Market, Onitsha in Anambra State.
Sources claimed that the inferno which started at about 12:10pm on Tuesday, also destroyed a multi-million naira worth of goods and buildings.
Blueprint reports that the inferno caused stampede at the market as traders scamper for safety amidst the fire.
"We saw four corpses been recovered from the fire during the inferno. But we can't tell the hospital they were taken to. About twelve persons sustained various levels of injury in the process," a source added.
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Mr Emeka Orji, said they quickly contacted the Anambra state Fire Service and Divisional Police Office Fegge, and they deployed their officers to quench the fire and restoration of peace respectively.
"We cannot ascertain the number of deaths and injured for now because some of the victims have been rushed to the medical facilities around the area and we are happy that most of them are responding to treatment" he added.
Confirming the report, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, said that no life was lost but some could be injured during the fire incident.
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