No fewer than 15 speedboats, goods and property worth millions of naira were on Sunday gutted by fire, which razed a section of the Miller Waterside along the NPA Road in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that the inferno commenced from a nearby filling station around 11pm when shop owners had already locked up and gone home, thus hindering timely salvaging efforts.
It was also learnt that much damage had already been done before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Sources attributed the cause of the fire to a cigarette stub carelessly thrown away near the filling station.
Speaking with journalists over the incident, a resident of the area, who identified herself simply as Mine, said they suddenly heard an explosion around 11pm and before they could rush out, the fire had engulfed the entire area.
Many traders, who were affected by the inferno, were seen counting their losses when our correspondent visited the scene on Monday.