Fire destroys goods in Benin supermarket

A fire on Sunday afternoon burned parts of Anambra Supermarket, a well-known shopping mall in Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, Edo State. The fire destroyed goods worth millions of naira.

The fire reportedly started on the first floor of the two-storey building. It is believed to have come from a fault in one of the solar panels on the roof.

A video of the fire shared on social media showed residents and passers-by trying to put out the flames before the Edo State Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service arrived.

Chukwuemeka Adimorah, an eyewitness and friend of the supermarket owner, learned about the fire while coming back from church. He immediately called the owner's wife.

"When I was coming from church, I found out that the supermarket was on fire. I called the wife of the owner, but she told me she was already aware and had alerted the fire service. I want to commend the fire service personnel for their efforts. They did a good job," he said.

Another witness, Lucky Bright, also noticed the fire while returning from church. He praised the quick action of the firefighters.

"The response from the fire service was timely and helped to save the supermarket from complete destruction," he said.

Blessing Aidengbe, another witness, suggested that the fire might have started from a faulty solar panel.

"I suspect there was a faulty panel among those installed on the roof because such faults can trigger a fire outbreak," he said.

No one was reported injured in the fire, but goods and property worth millions of naira were lost in the blaze.

As of the time of this report, there was no official comment from the Edo State Fire Service.