According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out at about midnight breaking Sunday.
At least 11 stores and warehouses have been reduced to chars.
“I was coming to the market to get food for the house only to hear that my younger brother’s shop has been consumed by fire. It is unfortunate…we leave it all in God’s hands,” a local said.
Some shop owners braved the insecurity at midnight to see for themselves what had happened to their shops.
Some of them watched the flames ravage their goods.
Trader shocked at the level of destruction
“We received a call at about 12:30 am. Few minutes later we arrived the scene. We saw wild flames and set out to quench it. Our major challenge was the fact that the doors were firmly locked. Some had 2 and others 3 metal doors. We had to break in through the walls in other to stop the flames from spreading,” Senior Warrant Officer Taku Paul, Chief of Center of the Bamenda Army Rescue Unit told Mimi Mefo info.
The doors of most stores had been reinforced to prevent bandits who have been breaking into these stores and making away with goods.
Iron doors reinforced at Bamenda Food Market
At press time the cause of the fire had not been established. This is not the first time market fires and arson on homes have been reported in Bamenda.
Army Rescue Unit Puts Out The Flames
Mimi Mefo Info
