Fire on Sunday afternoon razed down a section of Igbudu market in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Properties including a building allegedly worth several millions of naira were destroyed in the inferno.
The fire, which occurred about 3 pm on Sunday, affected a section of the market housing several stores at the Hausa Quarters end of the market.
The cause of the fire incident could not be ascertained at the time of this report.
Officials of the fire service strived to quench the raging fire at the Hausa Quarters and Nupe section of the market.
However, the officials of the fire service were pelted with stones by hoodlums for coming too late to the scene of the incident.
The Esut of Nupe and its environs, Alhaji Mohammed Zuberu Tajudeen who confirmed the report said, “the fire started but there was nobody to call the firefighters until I placed a call to my friend who helped to call for firefighters and they came.
“But some boys around started throwing stones at them because they came when the building had been raised down by the fire.
“The firefighters helped to put off the fire. But the first fire service that came only came with a half tank. After some time they said there was no water again. And another one came in to also help and put off the fire. The third one came when the boys and other people around had put off the fire.
“Some boys were busy stealing from people in the name of putting out the fire but I got one and gave him a good beat and he is with the military now.
“Government should help put a firefighters station in Igbudu market to help in times like this because this is the biggest market in Delta State. It took the firefighters 45min to get to the market from the time they were called”.
The Warri South Council Chairman, Dr.Michael Tidi said he was on top of the matter stressing that he has contacted fire services who were already in the area fighting the fire.
“I have just contacted the Shell fire service and they are on their way already”.
