Many persons were feared dead in a fire outbreak that occured at Kubwa main market in Abuja on Friday.

The fire outbreak was caused by an explosion from a phone used by a Kerosene seller.

An eyewitness said that the phone used by the kerosene seller caused the carnage.

He said several shops and people were burnt to death, including the seller.

According to the eyewitness: “The fire was not caused by transformer explosion as being speculated but phone. The woman selling the kerosene was using her phone’s torchlight to sell the product when the explosion occured.

“I believe that the explosion was due to the electromagnetic waves of the phone. The explosion threw the kerosene tank from the ground to the roof of the plaza, from where the fire started.

“While some people believed that it was a bomb, other said it was transformer explosion. But, I was there; and I saw it. The incident was caused by phone.

“So many people where burnt including the woman selling the Kerosene; some children were among those burnt beyond recognition.

“Some shops were burnt down.”

When asked about efforts of fire service, the eyewitness said: “The fire fighters came very late, but boys in the area were able to put the fire under control.”

Another eyewitness, Cecilia Ajegba, said an the explosion was due to an electricity transformer closed to the Kerosene tank.

She said: “The fire was caused by an explosion from an electricity transformer closed to the market. The explosion affected a kerosene tank close by, and this led to the fire outbreak.

“When the explosion happened, the fire spread and ignited some people around the market.

“Police officers did not allow us to go close as they condoned off the place, but those close said about five people were killed.”