Initially thought to be the handiwork of separatists who have imposed a lockdown to frustrate the elections and National Youth Day, it has now been said the fire was the result of an electric fault.

Some locals said at the time of the fire, they heard sounds that appeared to be coming from gunshots. Cameroon-info.net however understands that the sounds were that of whiskey bottles exploding in the shops caught by fire.

“I was there when the fire started. The Army Rescue came in and with the help of the population, the fire was put out. It is sad to see those who were not in Kumba writing and misleading the population,” a local said, adding that, “There were no Amba Boys (armed separatists) at the Kumba Main Market/Park and there were no gunshots. The fire incident was as a result of an electric fault. The sounds people got were emanating from bottles of whiskey and electronic items consumed by the wild fire."

Some traders are quoted as saying that the electrical connections at the facility were faulty and have been giving them trouble. Those who could afford are said to have resorted to using generators.

The fire incident scared locals who had snubbed a separatist imposed lockdown to go about their routine activities.

Cameroonians nationwide are expected to vote in municipal and legislative elections this Sunday amid boycott calls from some opposition groupings like the Cameroon Renaissance Movement of Prof. Maurice Kamto as well as threats from separatists who want to stop the elections from taking place.

Cameroon has deployed troops to the regions to ensure security before, during and after the elections. Administrative and security officials have taken turns to squash any fears that might have been in the minds of the population, assuring them of maximum security.