Tears as Fire guts Elegu Border Market in Amuru District

Tolit Ivan

Dozens of traders in Elegu Township in Amuru District are counting huge losses after fire burnt the entire Elegu market with properties worth billions lost in the fire.

According to reports The second Opinion has learnt that the fire started at around 2; 20 am in the night from one of the shops where one of the traders was frying fish.

It is said the fire started spreading to the other shops burning the entire market that used to accommodate more than 3,000 traders.

Geoffrey Orsbon Oceng, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner who doubles as the chairperson Security Committee revealed that he contacted police at Elegu Township when the fire started but the fire truck parked at a Elegu Police Station had no water and had mechanical problems.

He said this made it very difficult to rescue the situation and by the time they called a fire truck from Gulu Central Police Station to rescue the situation it was already too late and nothing was saved.

Oceng said they are yet to quantify the magnitude of the damage and whether people have been injured but  are still ascertaining the situation as they investigate what could have caused the fire.

Elegu market has over the years been prone to mysterious fire outbreaks.

In January 2017, more than 40 shops were razed down in the fire outbreak.

In February 2017, a devastating fire outbreak destroyed over 300 temporary structures consisting of residential, restaurants and shops, displacing about 500 people.

In May 2017, more than ten shops were burnt down after fire engulfed a wood workshop.

In January 2018, more than 200 structures were burnt to ashes, displacing about 400 people after fire gutted western part of Elegu Market in Elegu Zone II parish.