Five injured, 30 shops burnt in Bayelsa fire

fire in Bayelsa

FIVE persons were injured and 30 shops burnt yesterday when fire gutted the popular Ekeki Motor Park in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Shop owners, who could not salvage their goods, cried helplessly.

It was learnt the fire started from one of the shops when an unidentified attendant attempted to refuel a running generator.

“All we heard was an explosion and the fire was ignited”, a man who came to read newspapers, said.

Chairman of Motor Park Elders Mr. Okay Neijea said the fire started about 8:45 am.

He said he called the Fire Service. But many shops had been razed before they arrived.

The chairman appealed to the government to come to assist the traders.

A woman, who operates a pool office, said she lost everything including N100,000.

“Somebody called me and said the park was burning. I rushed down and saw my shop in flames. Everything got burnt, even the money we got on Wednesday. I couldn’t recover anything. The government should help us. I don’t have any other thing to do for a living,” she lamented.

Mrs. Sole Johnson, who owned a restaurant, said a similar incident occurred in the area about eight years ago.

“I have spent about 21 years in this park. Now, I have lost everything. I beg the government to come to our aid. I have seven children and without this business, I am finished,” she said.