Many victims of the Bamenda main market inferno are hoping that there will be some level of state support to help them bounce back. The gloomy atmosphere around the market today revealed the grim aftermath of the wild flames that ravaged the Bamenda main market last night. Today, amidst the charred remains, locals search through the rubble, hoping to salvage any remnants of their once-thriving shops.
At least 300 shops lay in ruins, a painful testament to the destructive power of the fire, with official reports indicating that 30 people suffered various injuries during the chaos.
“Unfortunately, over 300 shops have been destroyed,” said North West Governor Adolf Lele Lafrique, who visited the site of the incident to assess the situation.
The governor furthered that the condition of the 30 people rushed to hospitals after sustaining injuries has been stabilised, adding that no fatalities have been reported as a direct consequence of the fire. The only death rather came from the hands of an angry mob that meted out jungle justice on a suspected thief.
Visiting the market this morning were local and regional authorities, their presence was a sign of solidarity in the face of the tragedy. They have been engaged in meetings aimed at strategizing the reconstruction efforts, to rebuild the market with a keen eye on rectifying past mistakes and implementing measures to prevent such calamities in the future.
“They need to have the firefighters in their reconstruction committee so that they can advise on how to better the situation. Secondly, the 1957 structure needs to be modernised, taking into consideration preventive measures such as decking of the shops to curb such calamities,” said the president of the associations of business persons in Bamenda, Chia Godwil Kwanga.
The fire incident has been lamented as a significant loss, one that many believe could have been prevented.
“If the market was not congested with shops doted, the firefighters would have had access to the market and contained the fire, limiting the damages that have been recorded,” said one of the traders who lost his two shops to the incident.
“There is an urgent need for the modernization of all markets within Bamenda City,” emphasised one official. “We must consider comprehensive disaster prevention measures, especially given the city’s history of facing such devastating fires. The economic hardships borne by the population in such times are immense.”
As the Bamenda main market community comes to terms with the loss, there is a collective hope that the State in and support the affected traders in their rebuilding efforts.
