A total of 201 closed stores that held various chemicals used in cocoa cultivation have been totally destroyed by fire.
A senior representative of the Nigerian Red Cross, Cosmas Itaka, verified the occurrence and stated that the fire is believed to have begun yesterday night around ten o’clock.
Itaka revealed that the stores are located on Lagos line in Ikom, in Cross River State.
Since the Lagos line lies at the centre of the damaged area, it is completely wrecked. The fire devastated stores and properties.
“We have not immediately ascertained the cause of the blaze but we are doing estimation of the goods, including cocoa chemicals destroyed to be around N800 million.”
“The fire is said to have started at about 10.49pm when the shop owners and neighbours had closed and gone home.
“We arrived early enough when we were alerted and have been able to secure some remnants of goods to block possible thieves from carting them away. We have been able to disconnect some electric wires and are presently clearing the sites in effort to quench the raging fire”, he said.
He also confirmed that police and other security personnel have also arrived the scene of the fire.