Fire Guts Owode Market in Offa

An early morning inferno in the early hours of Saturday gutted a major  market, Owode, in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.      The inferno, which was said to have started around 1:30 a.m. reportedly razed over 50 per cent of the market according to an eyewitness  account

It was said to have been caused by a power surge from an electric  pole. Traders reportedly complained about the damaged pole to the  electricity officials to rectify the problem.      However, the spark occurred again in d midnight precipitating an  inferno which was burnt shops to ashes when it subsidded.

Fire service officials battled herd to extinguish the raging fire as  they could not go deep insdie the market due to lack of access road,  according to our source.    Shop owners and traders at the market were in tears yesterday. Hassan  Oyeleke of the House of Assembly visited d scene, promisng to liase  with appropriate bodies for immediate relief ot the victims.