Traders at the popular Araromi auto spare parts market, Agodi-Gate, Ibadan wept helplessly as their goods were being gutted by fire in the midnight on Saturday.
Some of the affected traders, scavengers and those living close to the market rushed to the scene as the fire raged.
It was learnt that the distressed traders called the attention of the Oyo State Fire Service to the scene of the incident as the people made frantic efforts to battle the fire.
However, the traders and sympathisers could not go far in dousing the fire as a result of water shortage. Efforts to salvage the goods and wares in the shops were futile as the fire continued to bellow with intensity.
On their arrival at Agodi Gate area of the market, the firemen had difficultlty in getting close to the point of the fire as fire trucks could not access the spot of the fire outbreak. Fire trucks parked at about half kilometres as two teams from the state fire service dragged water hose to the market.
Efforts to battle the inferno was difficult as the fire flared with intensity by inflamable materials.
Officials of the state fire service said the outbreak was caused by power surge that emanated from one of the shops in the popular market.
It was learnt that electricity supply was restored to the market recently after several years of blackout.
A Toyota spareparts dealer in the market, who gave his name simply as Samson, said the last time such incident was witnessed in the market was in 1983. “It was even not at a large scale as this,” Sampson said.
Items that were destroyed by the inferno include fairly used tyres, car realms and other spareparts.
