Explosion causes deadly fire that rages through crowded market

A deadly fire raged through the Onitsha market in Nigeria as helpless onlookers tried in vain to fight the flames, while others fled for their lives. Flames engulfed buildings and merchandise stands and quickly grew out of control. The fire claimed the life of a mother and her baby, as well as two young salesgirls and and a young man employed in the market. Hundreds of shop owners, vendors and neighboring residents lost all of their belongings in the blaze.Show more

The fire started when a delivery truck that was bringing fuel to the market lost control. It struck several buildings tipped over, spilling the contents. Sparks from the collision ignited the tanker and the fuel. The tanker exploded and flames quickly spread throughout the area, igniting shops and buildings.

The mother and her child were trying to escape the explosion and rapidly spreading flames. They fell into the gutter and perished. A man who tried to enter his shop to collect his savings was trapped and also perished in the fire.

This video was captured as the flames spread and store fronts were consumed. Customers and vendors fled for their lives while some desperately threw bottles and bags of water at the flames in a futile attempt to stop its progress. Their heroic efforts were not able to accomplish much and they soon fled for safety as well. The young man recording this video was able to capture a short piece of footage that shows just how incredible the fire was and how quickly it reached an uncontrollable state. We see that his camera is tilted and unsteady as he struggles to maintain a safe distance from the heat while watching the spreading fire to ensure that he is not trapped. After less than a minute, intense heat and smoke make staying to fight the fire far too dangerous. All of the men, including the camera man, must run for their lives.

The investigation into the blaze suggests that poorly maintained vehicles and lax safety standards may play a role in the number of similar accidents in Anambra State. They will be examining the wreckage to see if this was the case here. Poorly equipped fire services were also blamed for the slow response and inadequate efforts to get the fire under control for almost seven hours.

The loss of life in this incident is tragic. The loss of property and money is also tragic. Many of the shop and business owners will never recover from their losses. In Nigeria, setbacks like this make an already difficult existence even more impossible.