A devastating fire outbreak has destroyed a popular home appliances and office furniture market located along Murtala Mohammed Way in Kano, leaving scores of traders counting losses estimated at millions of naira.
The NIGERIAN TRACKER sources and Video Footages monitored by GLOBAL TRACKER indicate that the incident, which occurred late Thursday night, engulfed a large section of the market and destroyed valuable goods, furniture and business assets before firefighters succeeded in bringing the inferno under control.
Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out at about 10:00 p.m. and spread rapidly through the market, consuming several shops and their contents.
The affected market, strategically located between the DHL office and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) along the busy Murtala Mohammed Way, is widely known as one of Kano’s major centres for the sale of household and office furnishing materials.
Items commonly sold in the market include furniture, carpets, mattresses, refrigerators, air conditioners, television sets, office equipment and various interior decoration materials.
Traders and residents in the area watched helplessly as flames tore through the market, destroying goods and properties accumulated over several years of business operations.
One of the affected traders, who spoke to journalists shortly after the incident, described the fire as a major tragedy for business owners operating within the market.
According to him, several shops were completely gutted by the fire, with goods worth millions of naira reduced to ashes.
“The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. We could only watch helplessly as officials of the Kano State Fire Service battled to contain the inferno,” the trader lamented.
He explained that despite the efforts of emergency responders, the intensity of the blaze made it difficult to prevent extensive destruction of property.
Witnesses said thick smoke and towering flames could be seen from several parts of the city as the fire raged for hours.
The inferno also affected a nearby building occupied by the international courier company DHL, where part of the roof reportedly sustained damage from the flames.
However, there was no immediate report of casualties at the time of filing this report.
Officials of the Kano State Fire Service were said to have responded promptly to distress calls and worked tirelessly to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings and businesses along the commercial corridor.
Their intervention, according to eyewitnesses, helped contain the fire and prevented what could have been an even larger disaster in one of Kano’s busiest commercial districts.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not officially established the cause of the fire, while the total value of goods and property destroyed remained unknown.
Affected traders have appealed to the Kano State Government, relevant agencies, corporate organizations and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid as they struggle to recover from the disaster.
Many of the victims said the incident had wiped out their investments and means of livelihood, leaving them uncertain about how to restart their businesses.
The latest fire disaster adds to growing concerns over recurring market fires in major commercial centres across the country, highlighting the need for improved fire prevention measures, safety awareness and emergency response systems.
Authorities are expected to commence investigations into the cause of the incident while traders continue to assess the full extent of their losses.