Saturday night fire has destroyed leather products and machines worth over N3billion in Aba, Abia State.
The fire affected over 30 shops at the Mansion Zone block of Powerline Leather Products Industrial Cluster.
Chairman of the affected block in the industrial cluster, told newsmen on Sunday that more than 500 workers were working in the affected shops.
He noted said though the Abia Fire Service arrived from Umuahia about an hour after the fire started, their efforts helped to douse the inferno.
A victim, Sunday Nwauzo, recounted that was called from home, when had gone and he alongside others rushed to the market to seen the raging fire and all their efforts did not yield much result.
He said they had to fetch water in buckets of water before the arrival of the men of Abia Fire Service from Umuahia.
He appealed for help to the affected victims, as the incident has put their businesses, families, and employees in jeopardy.
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Another victim, narrated that all they had invested in the business had been destroyed by the fire.
A former Chairman of Omenka Shoemakers Association, Powerline Zone, Mr. Goodluck Mmeri expressed disgust that miscreants capitalised on the situation to steal some of the materials and machines.
Also, Mazi Okechukwu Williams, the President, Leather Product Manufacturers Association in Abia, lamented over the huge losses suffered by the traders in the face of current hash economic situation.
He regretted that the state governments was yet to re-establish a Fire Service outpost at Ariaria International Market to handle fire incidents.
Williams pleaded with Gov. Alex Otti to restore the fire service outpost to ensure prompt response to any fire incident in and around the market.
