An explosion at the Onitsha Chemical Market Tuesday has left four dead and many others injured, property worth millions of naira have also been destroyed.
The explosion occurred around 12.45pm, the resulting fire caused a stampede, and in the process many got injured.
Fire services from Onitsha, Asaba and Ogbaru battled to bring the fire under control.
One of the traders Mr Nweke Uchenna who spoke to Daily Post said: “We were at our shops as usual when we heard a loud noise like a bomb blast and we saw thick smoke from some shops upstairs and everyone started running for safety.
“Then people started shouting for help and we saw people carrying traders from those shops that were on fire and some were burnt badly, while some seem to have been suffocated by the smoke and the stampede.
“We don’t know how much that has been lost to the fire but it can be estimated at N850 million to about N1 billion because the goods are strong chemical products that are highly inflammable.”
Anambra State Police Command spokesman Toochukwu Ikenga said the situation was under control, but the casualty figures cannot be verified for now.
