Goods worth millions have been razed at the popular Santana Market along Sapele road in Ikpoba-Okha local government area.
Fire fighters were said to have watched helplessly after they failed to put out the inferno.
Some witnesses said the fire outbreak was caused by power surge.
On Sunday morning, some of the affected traders, who were not aware of the incident, collapsed when they saw their wares destroyed.
Mrs. Cecilia Awala, who said she has been selling in the market for the past 20 years, said it was the first time she experienced fire incident in the market.
โI was told the fire started around 9 pm and as at that time we have closed from the market.
โI received a call that the market was on fire and before I get here everything was gone including my childโs store.
โAll his goods and the money he left in the store, everything is gone.
โMy fish, everything I have in my shop is gone, as I stand here I have nothing at home to eat I mean nothing at all,โ she said.
Awala said there was no power supply before she left market.
โWe understand that power was restored later in the night so we are suspecting that the fire might have been caused by power surge.โ
Another trader, Mrs. Ese Peter, said she just bought fresh supplied for her store on Friday.
โI donโt even see a pin to bring out of the fire, everything in my shop was reduced to rubles.
โI have been in this market for over twelve years and this kind of thing has never happened.
โMy friend called me around 2 am and before I got here everything is gone in my two shops.
โI lost everything, I just stocked my store this last Friday with over one million naira now there is nothing left.โ
A trader was said to have collapsed and died upon seeing that the whole shops including his goods got burnt.
His identity could not be confirmed as at press time.
Mrs. Eukaria Ezeribe, who sells clothing materials and households items such as ceramic, cooking utensils said her shop was burnt to ashes.
Chairman of Ikpoba-Okha local government council, Dr. Eric Osayande was on ground to access the extent of damage.
Osayande, who addressed some of the victims, assured them that government would investigate the cause of the fire incident which he said is the first time since the history of the market with a view preventing a reoccurrence.
He promised that the local government would cry out to the state government because the extent of damage is not something the council can solve alone.
