Joint Assessment Reveals Extensive Damage from Ikom Market Fire Disaster

A joint assessment team comprising officials from Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Department of State Services (DSS), Red Cross, representatives from Ikom Local Government Area, and market leaders, led by the Head of Operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Uyo, conducted an on-the-spot evaluation of the aftermath of the fire disaster that ravaged Ikom main market.

The assessment revealed a grim picture as the team toured the five lines affected by the fire, namely Togo, Gombe, Lagos, Italian, and Onitsha lines. The severity of the blaze surpassed the capacity of the market traders to cope, resulting in the destruction of numerous shops and goods valued at millions of naira. Cash holdings were also incinerated, exacerbating the economic impact on the traders.

Approximately 620 shops across the five lines bore the brunt of the inferno, significantly impacting the livelihoods of those reliant on the market for their income.

Furthermore, the assessment extended to a petroleum tanker fire along Calabar road in Ikom, which claimed a life and caused extensive damage. Thirty-two motorcycles were destroyed, and over 29 roadside shops were consumed by the flames.

In the wake of these calamities, Pastor Moris Ewonkom, the market leader, along with his executives, issued an appeal for federal government assistance to aid in the recovery efforts and support the affected traders in rebuilding their livelihoods.