At least three shops were completely gutted by flames that broke out at around 6am on Tuesday June 11, 2024.

The alarm was raised by a street child who spends his nights in front of the Chinese market in Akwa, Douala. But his callers did not listen. It was 6am on Tuesday, 11 June 2024. The young man walked away. Soon after, thick black smoke rose from the spot the street urchin had indicated. The flames spread, charring the goods as they passed. Shop after shop went up in flames.

The fire brigade arrived on the scene and tried to control the flames. Cars and motorbike traffic was stopped to protect the victims’ property. Access to the market was filtered. The fire was brought under control after a few minutes. As a result, three shops were completely destroyed and others were partially affected by the flames.