A fire outbreak in the early hours of Saturday has destroyed goods worth millions of naira at the Plumbing Materials Section of the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha.

The incident occurred near the Ogbo-Ogwu Medicine Market along the Onitsha-Awka Expressway, close to the River Niger Bridge, a major commercial corridor in the state.

According to eyewitness accounts, the fire started at about 11:55 p.m. on Friday and quickly spread across several shops, destroying plumbing materials and other goods in its path. The number of affected shops could not be immediately confirmed.

Traders and residents reportedly made initial efforts to contain the blaze before the arrival of officials of the state fire service, who eventually brought the situation under control and prevented further damage.

Despite the scale of destruction, no casualties were recorded.

Witnesses said security personnel at the market raised the alarm, but by the time traders arrived, a significant portion of the affected section had already been engulfed.

“As of now, some shop owners are still salvaging burnt items and assessing their losses,” an eyewitness said, adding that while the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, a power surge is suspected.

The incident has left many traders counting heavy losses, with some lamenting that the destroyed goods represented years of investment.