NO fewer than five persons were feared killed on Friday evening as a section of the popular Kubwa ultra modern market in Abuja was gutted by fire.
While the identity of the deceased were not immediately known, an emergency services operative at the scene said at least two others were said to have sustained varying degrees of burns.
A witness account said that the fire was caused by an explosion from a phone used by a Kerosene seller.
The witness said: “The fire was not caused by transformer explosion as being speculated but phone. The woman selling the kerosene was using her phone’s torchlight to sell the product when the explosion occured.
“I believe that the explosion was due to the electromagnetic waves of the phone. The explosion threw the kerosene tank from the ground to the roof of the plaza, from where the fire started.
“While some people believed that it was a bomb, others said it was transformer explosion. But, I was there; and I saw it. The incident was caused by phone.
“So many people where burnt including the woman selling the Kerosene; some children were among those burnt beyond recognition.
“Some shops were burnt down.
“The fire fighters came very late, but boys in the area were able to put the fire under control.”
Another witness, Cecilia Ajegba, said the explosion was due to an electricity transformer close to the Kerosene tank.
She said: “The fire was caused by an explosion from an electricity transformer close to the market. The explosion affected a kerosene tank close by, and this led to the fire.
“When the explosion happened, the fire spread and caught up with some people around the market.
“Police officers did not allow us to go close as they condoned off the place, but those close said about five people were killed.” (Salem Reporters with a rejigged headline and some text edits)
