The electronics section of the market was the hardest hit by the flames with material damage estimated at tens of millions of CFA Francs.

“It is a great loss. The stores burnt can be evaluated at about CFA 50million francs,” one of the victims told Equinoxe TV reporters at the scene.

About 50 traders are said to be stranded following the inferno which eye witnesses blamed on the disorderly electricity connections in the market.

Residents of the Etoudi market area said the damage would have been minimised should fire fighters intervened on time. They said elements of the fire fighting brigade arrived the scene one hour after they were informed.

Though the actual cause of Tuesday’s inferno was immediately known, residents said it was the third time the market was hit by a fire accident in recent years.

The Bamenda food market and the Kumbo main market in the North West region and the Limbe market in the South West region were recently burnt and authorities blamed the wild flames on the on-going crisis rocking the two English speaking regions.