Four Dead, 12 Injured as Explosion Rocks Onitsha Chemical Market

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Four persons yesterday feared dead while 12 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an explosion that rocked Onitsha Chemical Market in Anambra State.

Sources said the explosion led to an inferno in the area, with over N850million worth of goods destroyed in the process.

The explosion occurred at about 12:45p.m. in the market, which led to a stampede, and later fire. A source said the four deaths were as a result of stampede as traders scampered for safety.

The source said: “The Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Mr. Emeka Orji, contacted the Anambra State Fire Service boss, Martin Agbili, who deployed officers of the department from Okpoko in Ogbaru LGA and that of Asaba in Delta State.

“Also, the council chairman contacted the DPO of Fegge Police Station, Rabiu Garuba, who deployed officers and men to the market to guarantee security of goods and other property belonging to the traders.”

A trader who spoke to THISDAY, Mr Nweke Uchenna, said: “We were at our shops as usual when we heard a loud sound like a bomb blast, and we saw tick smoke from some shops upstairs and everyone started running for safety.

“Then the people started shouting for help and we saw people carrying bodies of people 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 N850million to about N1 billion because the goods are strong chemical products that are highly inflammable.”

 The incident was confirmed by the state Police Command spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga. Who said: “The casualty figure is not certain now, but our operatives led by DCP John Ogbodoaga who is in charge of operations are still there, and the situation has been brought under control.”