By Elvis Tah
A fire that broke out at about 9 pm on Sunday, February 22, razed five shops in Tiko market in the Southwest Region.
Smouldering ruins of section of burnt market
The fire is estimated to have destroyed goods worth over FCFA 30 million. The stores that were affected were mainly for fashion materials, located at the first entrance of the market. Given that the market is located beside a motor park which is always busy, when the people noticed the smoke billowing from the market, they quickly stepped in to put off the fire.
Some shops that were not yet on flames were demolished to save the rest of the market, while other fire fighters engaged in using fought to put off the fire. The fire was, however, finally quenched with the use of a fire engine from SONARA, Limbe.
As we went to press, the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined. However, speculations were rife that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit from a meter that hung on the wall of one of the shops. But AES SONEL officials debunked the claims on grounds that the meter was still in tact.
Meantime, the grapevine had it that the owner of the store where the fire originated, a Nigerian, (names withheld), dabbles with voodoo practices.It is said that he belongs to a cult that harbours a mystical python in the market.
The suspicion was re-echoed by the DO of Tiko, Augustine Fonka Awa, while conversing with the SDO, Jules Marceline, when he (SDO) came to study the damages caused by the fire. Fonka told the SDO that there have been mysterious stories of witchcraft in the market that led to a serious prayer session by a combination of clergymen from diverse denominations.
He stated that no sooner did the clergymen invoke "holy ghost fire" to cast all the demons in the market, than the fire incident occurred.The SDO cautioned the shop owners in the market to conform to the technical norms of installing electricity. Some of the fire victims included Victoria Okorye, Bennet Okeke, Evelyn Bianda and Polycarp Ihedi.
Residents of Tiko are reporting the whole market has burned, on you report only five shops are reported burnt.
Does it mean only five Fashion shops were allocated in Tiko Market?
If you don't mind we need to have a view on the other entrances of the Market and get a comment from one of the victims.
Posted by: Thomas | Thursday, 04 March 2010 at 08:15 AM
Post more pictures, so one can see the extent of the damage.
Posted by: Eddy | Saturday, 06 March 2010 at 02:04 PM
Yu guys can't read? This is an old story from February 2009 (over a year ago) during another fire in that same market.
Posted by: wolwos | Sunday, 07 March 2010 at 11:56 AM
I will like to know why should the pess, the and cameroon government carried and puplished out fake new,the is to create an uncertainty,and i think to be very sure that cameroonian born nigerians has got nothing in connection with incident
Posted by: denice | Thursday, 28 July 2011 at 10:48 AM