A major fire outbreak has destroyed several shops at the popular Mandate Market in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, threw the bustling market into confusion.
Daily Trust gathered that traders and residents struggled to contain the inferno before the arrival of firefighters.
Several shops with goods worth several millions of naira were gutted in the fire.
Speaking on the incident, the Babalola of Mandate Market, Alhaji Murtala Tambaruku, told Daily Trust that traders lost goods worth several millions of naira in the disaster.
According to him, many affected traders were left devastated, with some collapsing after discovering the extent of the destruction.
‘Several properties were destroyed running into several millions of naira. Some of the traders fainted and we are talking about those selling rice, vegetable oil, drinks, drugs and gadgets. One of the rice sellers just got over five million naira supply yesterday and everything is gone.
‘The walls and the shops were completely razed without the affected traders salvaging anything’, he said.
Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Fire Service said it received a distress call at about 4:44am and immediately deployed firefighters to the scene.
According to the Fire Service, the affected section formed part of a market housing over 200 shops, out of which 24 shops were razed by the fire.
The agency attributed the severity of the destruction to a late emergency call, noting that the fire had spread extensively before firefighters arrived.
‘Nevertheless, the gallant firefighters of the Kwara State Fire Service displayed exceptional courage and professionalism in combating the inferno and successfully averted further destruction across the market,’ the agency’s spokesperson, Hassan Adekunle, said.
According o him, preliminary investigation by the Fire Service revealed that the blaze was caused by a power surge.
‘The fire was said to have started from a shop dealing in phone accessories and phone charging services before spreading to adjoining shops where foodstuffs and other goods were stored,’ he said.
He added that the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, later visited the scene at about 10am to sympathise with the victims and inspect the extent of the damage.
‘During the visit, he met with leaders of the market associations and reassured them of the agency’s support.
‘He also urged traders and market operators to prioritise fire safety measures, including the installation of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, fire alarms and electrical protection devices,’ he noted.
Adekunle submitted that fire service reminded market leaders about its annual fire safety sensitisation programmes across markets in the state, stressing the need for traders to comply with safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.