A midnight fire has destroyed seven shops and an undisclosed quantity of goods along Amen Owie Street, opposite Delano Hotels, off Second Ugbor Road, Abuja Quarters, in Benin City, Edo State.

The fire reportedly broke out at about 3am on Sunday, leaving shop owners with significant losses. No lives were lost.

Some of the affected traders, who confirmed the incident in interviews, said they were alerted by neighbours who called them after the fire started.

The traders suspected that the fire might have been caused by an electrical appliance allegedly left on in one of the shops after the owner closed late for the day.

They also said the incident occurred after the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) restored electricity to the area.

However, the cause of the fire has yet to be officially established.

Residents reportedly rushed to the scene and forced open the doors of some shops to evacuate valuables in an effort to minimise losses.

Their intervention also helped prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the neighbourhood, although seven shops were affected.

The shop owners said attempts to get the Edo State Fire Service to the scene proved difficult because of the time the incident occurred.

The quantity and value of the goods destroyed have yet to be determined.