Enugu fire service head, Martin Agbili revealed that 80 shops were affected in the chemical market explosion in Onitsha head bridge.
This was disclosed via a statement signed by Agbili on Wednesday, explaining that the explosion occurred at the Science and Lab Line of Ogbo Ogwu Market, not the entire Ogbo Ogwu Market.
“It is really a terrible situation, but the fire is under control now. The vibration from the explosions caused the collapse of some market buildings,” the statement read.
Agbili explained: “A lot of safety measures have been taken to protect the entire market. There are casualties, but we can’t ascertain the actual number of deaths and the injured.”
It should be recalled that the fire started at about 12:10pm on Tuesday as the chemicals stored in the shops exploded sporadically.
The fire also destroyed goods and properties worth millions of naira.
According to reports, the incident led to a stampede in the market, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
