An early-morning fire has destroyed seven shops and an undisclosed quantity of goods along Amen Owie Street, opposite Delano Hotels, off Second Ugbor Road, Abuja Quarters, Benin City, Edo State.
The incident reportedly occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, leaving affected traders with significant losses and damaging their sources of livelihood. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
Some shop owners attributed the fire to a suspected electrical appliance left switched on after business hours. The incident was also reported to have occurred shortly after electricity was restored to the area by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). However, the official cause of the fire has not been established.
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Residents reportedly rushed to the scene, broke open some shop doors and rescued valuables in an effort to minimise losses and prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties.
The affected traders also expressed concern over difficulties encountered in reaching the Edo State Fire Service during the early-morning incident.
The full extent of the damage, including the value of the destroyed goods, remains unknown.
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