Nkwen Market Fire Incident: City mayor identifies electrical failure as cause, says reconstruction starts soonest

Martial Gnoukapasir

Bamenda city mayor - Achobong Paul addressing traders

The Bamenda city mayor Achobang Tembang Paul flanked by the divisional officer for Bamenda III, the brigade commander of Ntabessi, the Judicial police and head of the fire fighting brigade, have visited the Nkwen market where they assessed the damage caused by the fire that ravaged some shops at the market in the night of November 30th.

Speaking to the press after consulting with the market master and other stakeholders charged with managing certain affairs at the market, the mayor identified electrical fault as the cause of the fire.

He said he's well aware of the fact that opportunists were already linking the cause of the fire to something else but stood firm to the point that after findings, electrical failure is to be blame for the fire incident.

Mayor Achobong facing the press

"This incident broke up in the evening of yesterday and quickly we were all informed and the army rescue appeared immediately. They fought a good fight and today we can all see that the flames are out. We appreciate them and all those who contributed in outing the flames"

In terms of assistance to those who lost their businesses to the fire, mayor Achobong Paul said " I have just instructed the market master to count all the shops affected and the type of businesses they were conducting, make an appraisal of the damage done per shop, put the figures together so we can know from what direction we can be able to comfort the victims".

large crowd of traders and sympathizers listen to the mayor speak

The divisional officer for Bamenda III also said the senior divisional officer for Mezam has already put in place an evaluation commission to look into the situation which will help determine governments action.

Bamenda III divisional officer

Comforting the traders outside the market gate mayor Achobong Paul said he was well aware of the pain they're going through, thanking God no life was lost in the fire.

"loosing a business or property which serves as one's source of income and livelihood to fire is very difficult to bare" he said

He however reminded them that in every lost there's hope.

"for what you loose today, a better one will come tomorrow" he added

what is left of for some shops

He assured them that the cause of the fire was natural and not man made, so they shouldn't panick.

The market for the moment will be accessed only by those who own sheds to permit a team put in place to clean the market do their job.

He also announced that while the census to get figures of shops and property damaged by the fire is ongoing, businesses not destroyed by the fire will possibly resume business, hopefully on Thursday December 2nd.

The council on it's part he said, will appeal and lobby for assistance to help the affected traders get back on their feet like they've always done during such unfortunate instances.

He pleaded for the traders to remain calm while all these is being done.