Fire destroys Kara market in Sokoto

Sokoto – Property estimated at hundreds of millions
of naira have been destroyed by fire at the popular
Kara market in Sokoto.
Some of the items sold at the market included
grains, onions, agricultural inputs, wheat offal, kola
nuts, generators and spare parts, among others.
The fire started at about midnight on Tuesday.
It was said to have been ignited by an electrical
spark at a shop opposite the Kofar-Kade gate.
There was, however, no loss of life or injury in the
inferno.
The fire was still raging when NAN visited the scene
at 6.30a.m. on Wednesday.
Some of the traders were able to salvage some of
their wares, while others were seen guarding their
property against thieves.
Some traders told NAN that the spark was caused
by the restoration of power supply.
“There was no light at the market since 6p.m. on
Tuesday. It was restored at about midnight.
“That was believed to be the genesis of the
unfortunate fire incident’’, Alhaji Musa Danhajiya, a
victim, told NAN.
Another victim, Malam Yusuf Labbo, told NAN that:
“we have lost property worth hundreds of millions of
naira and cash.
“The fire was put off by some good Samaritans and
the victims, and we are still guarding our salvaged
items.’’
The Secretary of the Kola Nuts Sellers Association
in Sokoto state, Mr Shina Agboola, told NAN that the
fire had caused tremendous damage at the market.
Agboola said: “my association has over 108
members at the affected market and they had
suffered huge losses.
“We are therefore appealing to the government to
come to the aid of the victims’’, he added.
The Director-General, Sokoto State Fire Service,
Alhaji Harande Chedi, confirmed the incident, saying
no life was lost.
Chedi, however, said the service would investigate
the allegation of restoration of electricity and power
surge to ascertain the cause of the inferno.
On his part, the Director-General of the state
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji
Hassan Maccido, also told NAN that the State
Government would set up a committee to unravel
the immediate and remote causes of the fire.
“The state government will also come to the aid of
the victims, but the victims should regard the
incident as an act of God,” he said. (NAN)