I stared blankly at the cashier. He was taking a painfully long amount of time to scan only ten items. Behind me was an endless queue of impatient customers. I signed. Little did I know that this mundane trip to the supermarket would take such a dark turn.

A large group of people started to barge in the supermarket. About 200 men and women were furiously pacing inside. They were obviously not customers. Some were holding carton signs and others had brought firecrackers. Firecrackers? Was there something to celebrate? My eyes widened in horror when I realised where they intended to fire them: inside the supermarket.

The first firecracker explosion made a deafening sound. Customers screamed and shouted in horror. More firecrackers were being shot successively towards the ceiling. I did not see where the fire started but it began to spread dangerously from shelf to shelf. A large crowd of customers strenuously pushed their way out of the small exit doors in panic. I feared a stampede. Consequently, I decided to look for the back door.

The troublemakers were emptying the cash tills and filling their bags with goods. They ransacked the supermarket. A cloud of thick black smoke was spreading rapidly inside the confined space. I started to cough uncontrollably and the smoke irritated my eyes. I felt that my eyes were being pierced with thousands of needles. I desperately looked for the exit but I had virtually no vision. I tripped on something (or somebody?) and fell heavily on the floor. I was drained of energy and struggled to get up. I would die in this miserable position.

I felt a pair of hands grab my feet. I was being dragged across the floor. After a few endless minutes of holding my breath, I was finally able to inhale some fresh air. My saviour had dragged me all the way outside. 'We didn't intend to cause a fire' A female voice with a heavy accent bellowed. 'Recession. Poverty. Our system is collapsing. Curse politicians'. My eyes were burning after being exposed so long to smoke. By the time I managed to open them, my saviour was gone.

At the parking lot was a grisly scene. Some people were coughing heavily while others were frantically shouting for their loved ones. Their clothes were covered in a thick layer of ashes. Some people had severe scratches, bruises and burn marks. The ambulance was already on the spot, bringing help to the injured. Firefighters rushed inside the building, attempting to save anyone stuck inside. After a dozen minutes, the supermarket was inaccessible with the blazing flames inside.

A news reporter was interviewing some witnesses. My heart dropped as she spoke. 'There have been hundreds of thousands of rioters on the streets today. Years of successive corruption have led to an economic collapse. Fifty-seven supermarkets including this one have been targeted and ransacked today. 561 people are reported missing and 67 are reported dead.'