FIRE RAZES FURNITURE MARKET IN YENAGOA

Properties and goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the early hours of Thursday as a midnight fire razed several shops at the Furniture Market located between the old PHED office and Rainoil Filling Station in the Opolo area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The incident threw residents into panic as the inferno spread rapidly across the affected section of the market.
Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out at about dawn, engulfing makeshift structures and business premises before emergency responders arrived at the scene.

Traders and shop owners made frantic efforts to salvage their goods, while others watched helplessly as their means of livelihood were consumed by the flames. The fire also reportedly displaced some families residing close to the affected shops.

Speaking at the scene, the Chairman of the Furniture Makers Association in the area, Mr Henry Obinna, said the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
Although he confirmed that no lives were lost, Obinna faulted the late arrival of officials of the Federal Fire Service.

He appealed to both the Federal and Bayelsa State Governments to provide adequate support and resources to the Fire Service to enhance its operational efficiency. Meanwhile, a section of the road was temporarily blocked to allow traders salvage some of their remaining goods.

Reported by Isaac Eyedoude