Midnight fire razes Ibadan auto part market

The Araromi auto part market in the Agodi-Gate area of Ibadan, Oyo State, has been gutted by a midnight fire.

Mostly affected are the tyre and car engine sections of the market.

The fire incident led to the loss of goods valued at hundreds of millions.

The fire was said to have started around 11pm around the tyre section and spread to other parts of the nearby shops where trailer engines are sold.

The fire was said to have been caused by a power surge, which was escalated by nylon used to wrap tyres.

The delay by firefighters to gain access to the market due to vehicles parked on the roadside aggravated the situation.

The fire trucks had to be parked some distance, about a half kilometre away, with two teams from the Oyo State Fire Service drafted to the scene to contain the inferno.