IKOM: Fire Razes Mile 2 Market (VIDEO)

By Jonathan Ugbal

Four years after the Lagos line section of the Mile 2 market in Ikom was razed in an inferno, traders are currently counting their loses after their shops were consumed by fire on Friday night.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of Friday with early reports suggesting a faulty electrical system as the cause. A surge in public electricity supply is said to have created a spark which ignited a flame and moments later, spread across the line.

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A similar incident had occurred four years ago with the rebuilding process said to have taken months.

Ikom is the commercial and political capital of central Cross River state. And, the market is a major revenue point for the government despite leakages occasioned by political patronage.

Residents say the Cross River Fire Service could not be reached on time to stop the spread of the fire which died about two hours after it began.

The incident is a major blow for traders in the state after the Ika Ika Oqua fruit market in Calabar was also razed a few weeks ago.

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