No fewer than 255 shops were burnt and scores of people injured, when the grains section of the popular Katako Market in Jos, the Plateau State capital, was Tuesday night gutted by fire, destroying valuables worth millions of Naira.
The cause of the fire was not known, but Mr. Kabiru Lawal, the Chairman of Grain Traders Association, said that the inferno resulted from a power surge.
He said: “The fire started immediately power was restored. The voltage was extremely high and this resulted into flames from some machines in some shops.”
He said: “I was particularly happy that the volunteers were people who had no particular stake in the market. Their total commitment was just amazing.”
The chairman appealed to Plateau State government to assist the traders, some of whom he said lost everything.
“Many have lost everything they laboured for all their lives,” he added.
Mr. Musa Ishaka, a victim, who described the incident as a “massive disaster,” called on the government to come to their assistance as they had no one else to turn to.
Mrs. Juni Dabin, a represen-tative of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, who visited the scene, expressed shock over the massive destruction and prayed against a recurrence.
She said that SEMA had assessed the damage and would send a report to the Plateau Government.
She said: “We shall do everything within our powers to cushion the effect of the disaster.”
Eyewitnesses’ accounts
Another eyewitness blamed the fire on an electrical spark after power was restored around 9.30p.m.
The witness said: “There was a spark from an electric pole after electricity supply was restored. It dropped on infla-mmable items on the ground, which ignited the fire adding.
“Within seconds of the spark, the whole place was covered with smoke and then fire.”
Another said it took the fire service and concerned mem-bers of the public several hours to bring the fire under control.
The eyewitness said several residents, that were attracted by the siren of the fire service and the blazing fire, which lit up the night, rallied to contain the fire which was eventually brought under control at about midnight.
Mahmud, a second hand clothing seller, said “Many residents came out to assist the fire people the fire was spreading rapidly. They helped in getting more water.
“The cooperation of the people helped to ensure that the fire did not spread to other parts of the market.”
Many of the victims were seen going through the rubble of their shops, yesterday morning, and lamenting their losses.
One of them, Yahaya Mohammad, said he lost several bags of maize and beans to the fire. He said he also lost money he had hoped to take to the bank.
The Director of Fire Service in the state, Mr. Michael Dung, had in a recent interview with newsmen , warned the people to be safety-conscious in view of increased incidents of fire during the harmattan. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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