From Tony John, Port Harcourt
A fire outbreak has destroyed property worth millions of naira at the Marine Base Timber Market in the old Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State.
The cause of the fire outbreak, which eyewitnesses said started about 11 pm on Wednesday, could not be ascertained by the time of this report.
The incident occurred barely fire days after similar fire outbreak razed property worth millions of naira at the popular Mile 3 Market in the state capital.
The cause of the section of the Mile 3 Market fire incident, which mostly destroyed several shops including cold rooms on the Bishop Okoye Line, is not known.
Marine Base Timber Market traders lamented that they had suffered several fire disaster, estimating the latest loss to over N300 million.
Some of the affected timber traders regretted that anytime fire outbreaks occur they lose virtually all their property as rescue operations have always been difficult.
They appealed to the Rivers State Government to come to their aid in terms of financial assistance and construct a befitting market for them to forestall future recurrence.
One of the victims, who simply gave his name as Onyema, told Daily Sun that he became a hypertensive patient as a result of incessant fire outbreaks at the timber market.
Onyema told the reporter on phone that when he got calls from some of his colleagues about the fire he refused to rush down due to his health condition..
