Business owners at the Karu market, located in Karu, a suburb community in Abuja, mourned their loss as fire consumed some sections of the market.
An eyewitness at the scene of the incident said the fire started late in the evening of Thursday, June 27, at about 11 p.m. and was still raging at about midnight. Men of the fire service were seen trying to put out the fire, while some traders were said to have returned to the market in an attempt to salvage what they could from their shops.
Many shops were razed down with their goods lost, and some traders who spoke to our correspondent off camera said they had lost all their livelihood.
A statement by the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), signed by the head of public affairs, Nkechi Isa, noted that the market is an illegal extension of the main market.
“A combined team of the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Service yesterday contained the fire outbreak at the old Karu Market in the FCT.
According to the acting director-general of FEMD, Mrs. Wenegieme, who was at the incident scene, the fire started at about 6.30 p.m.
She said that the firemen who got to the scene on time were, however, unable to gain access to the market, which is located behind the new market under construction.
“It was the illegal market or settlement behind the new market under construction that was engulfed by fire. We had enough fire trucks and firefighters, but we could not gain access to the market, so we had to break walls to have access to the firefighting hose. That caused the delay in putting out the fire,” she explained.
She further stated that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained but that investigations were going on to determine the cause.
She also stated that no life was lost in the fire incident. However, goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Mrs. Wenegieme further appreciated the men of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Civil Defence Corps, who were also on the ground to ensure crowd control, and the Department of Engineering Services for activating Julius Berger Fire Service, who were around to give their support.
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