About a hundred shops in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, have been razed to ashes following a wild fire that broke out late on Saturday night.

According to sources, the fire broke out at about 11pm on Saturday night at the Marché Congo and raged through for about seven hours before fire fighters could put it out.

The Governor of the Littoral Region was on the scene to evaluate the damage later on Sunday and according to the association of traders in the market, about 100 shops and neighbouring houses were burnt down with the financial loss still to be estimated.

Fire outbreaks are a recurrent theme in main markets in Douala and are most often caused by short circuit as a result of the poor electrical installations in the markets. This is not the first time fire is razing shops at the Marché Congo in Douala.