By Felix Ekwu
Shop owners of a section of Polokor market in Warri, Delta State which was gutted by fire in the wee hours of Wednesday are still counting their losses.
A female victim who spoke with NewsNet Nigeria on condition of anonymity said the fire disaster started around 1am on Wednesday thereby leaving some of them who stay far from the market the challenge to promptly rush to the scene to at least salvage some of their goods and wares.
She alleged that the fire began from the bakery behind the stretch of the affected stores that lay on a section of the market on Ugborikoko road in Warri.
According to her, it took the intervention of men of the fire service to put out the fire to halt it from escalating to other parts of the market.
When NewsNet Nigeria visited the scene on Friday afternoon two of the affected shop owners were seen standing helplessly and gazing at the wreckage of the inferno.
“We lost everything to the fire and some of us recently collected loans to restock our shops ahead of the ember months.
“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the government of Delta State should please come to our aide. They should do something to give us respite. We are begging,” said the affected traders.
