By Phil Okose, Onitsha
The Onitsha drug (Ogbogwu) market, Anambra State, scene of the chemical explosion where four persons were earlier reportedly dead Tuesday, was Wednesday, shut as death toll of casualties has reportedly increased from four to seven.
This disclosure was made by the chairman of Onitsha Bridgehead caretaker committee, Hon. Chinedu Ezekwike, Wednesday, while lamenting the untimely death of the victims.
“It was late in the evening Tuesday that we recovered three more corpses from the debris. We are still searching for more corpses. Earlier, when the incident occurred, we recovered four corpses, but now it has increased to seven.
“Most of those injured were rushed to various hospitals and as I am talking to you now, we have visited some of the hospitals to ask them to take heart,” he further revealed.
“I commend the Fegge Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mr. Garba Rabiu, the fire service men and others who helped during the explosion in which more than 20 people sustained various degrees of injurie and I also commend Governor Soludo, who has through his Deputy, come to sympathize with the victims.
“You know the inferno has to do with chemical substances and that was why I pleaded to the fire fighters to stay overnight to avoid night fire and they did. The fire even if it has been put off, can still be there,” he stated.
The incident which took place at the Science and Lab Line, left everything destroyed and collapse of some shops even as wares worth millions of naira were destroyed.
The Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, who represented Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, stormed the scene later in the evening on Tuesday, to ascertain the extent of damage.
 He was accompanied by the Hon. Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka,
Recall that fire fighters and fire trucks from both Anambra State Fire Service and Federal Fire Service were at the scene in case of any other eventuality as at Tuesday night.