Bamenda Main Market goes up in flames.

However, as we took to press late Thursday night, we gathered from unconfirmed sources that a short circuit was at the origin of the inferno.

The fire, which was first spotted from a section of the market hosting tailoring workshops, reportedly consumed several shops, resulting in huge material and financial damages. Traders of the market, the largest in the city of Bamenda, have since been counting their losses.

Local authorities were spotted rushing to the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused. It was not immediately stated what had been consumed by the fire, which spread like bush fire. 

We gathered that the presence of elements of the Firefighting Unit at the market wasn’t enough to put the flames under control. 

It took the firefighters several hours to stop the ravaging flames from spreading to other sections of the market. Fire incidents in markets across Bamenda have been recurrent in recent years. 

In December 2021, several shops at the Nkwen Market in the Bamenda III Subdivision, were consumed by wild fire.

Visiting the incident scene, Bamenda City Mayor, Paul Achombong, had lashed out at individuals who had linked the fire outbreak at the market to the handiwork of separatist fighters. The municipal authority had maintained that the incident was a result of an electrical fault.

“The cause of the fire was an electrical failure. We are comfortable with that truth...I know opportunists will want to take credit for things they did not do. We are here to decry and deplore anyone who will want to spread information that it was done by this or that person. No!” Achombong had insisted.

Earlier in February 2021, at least seventy-five makeshift sheds were reduced to ashes at Mile 4 Nkwen Motor Park, in the Bamenda II Subdivision. The fire incident occurred at about 2:00 a.m. 

Visiting the scene, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Mezam Division, Simon Emile Mooh, had accused dealers in illegal fuel in the park of being responsible for the fire incident. 

The claim of the civil administrator was immediately contradicted by some traders who rather pointed accusing fingers at separatists for burning the commercial centre as a punitive action. 

“Amba boys in the past have dropped tracks in this park threatening to attack if traders don’t respect Monday traditional ghost towns. So, we are sure that the boys carried out the act,” stated a trader on the basis of anonymity.