Close to 10 shops and sheds in Bamendankwe Market, Northwest Region, were consumed by fire on Friday, September 13, at about 10 pm.

Owners of the shops; hair dressers, tailors, dealers in electronics, Radio/TV repairers and an off licence operators, only came the following day to discover that all their goods had been reduced to ashes. The other traders, who were not affected, said the fire incident might have been triggered by an electrical fault.

“I think it must be an electrical fault because between 9.30pm and 10.00pm, electricity was interrupted due to a downpour, and when electricity was restored, it might have led to this disaster,” Paul Musi, a trader averred.

According to Musi, a tailor or hair dresser might have gone home without disconnecting his or her electrical appliances, or the abrupt electricity restoration might have caused the spark.

The crowed that gathered did not succeed to put out the fire. “The worst thing is that the shop and sheds at the entrance of the market are constructed with planks and these planks were dry enough for any rescue team to prevent the fire from razing them, Caroline Bih Bongwa, Mayor of Bamenda I Council told this reporter.

According to the Mayor, the cause of the fire incident is yet to be established. She, however, sympathised with the victims and promised that an investigation will be opened to determine the real cause of the fire.

She advised traders to always switch-off all electronic gadgets before shutting their shops. The damage is estimated in millions FCFA, including the buildings.