An official said that an electric spark resulting from the restoration of power to the affected building may have caused the fire.

An early morning fire on Sunday gutted the Umunnachi section of the age-long popular Aforigwe Market, Umudioka community, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, destroying property worth millions of naira.

The fire chief, Anambra Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Onitsha.

Mr Chiketa said that an electric spark resulting from the restoration of power to the affected building may have caused the fire.

He said the inferno started around 2:00 a.m., but a quick intervention by firefighters from the state fire service prevented it from spreading to the adjoining buildings.

A witness, who requested anonymity, said that officials from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company rushed to the market, along the Old Onitsha-Awka road, and disconnected the electricity cables to prevent electrocution.

He said the fire destroyed shops that sold shoes, electrical appliances, and bread depots, among others.