A devastating fire outbreak has gutted more than 500 stalls at Shuwaki Market in Gari Local Government Area of Kano State, leaving traders counting heavy losses.
Confirming the incident, the Kano State Fire Service said the inferno broke out on Wednesday, October 22, around 3:25 p.m.
The agency’s spokesperson, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to Abdullahi, the service’s control room received a distress call from Commander Abdulmalik Muhd of the Gari Fire Station, prompting an immediate response from firefighters stationed in Danbatta.
“Upon arrival, our personnel discovered that a section of the market measuring about 3,000 by 2,500 feet, containing roughly 1,000 temporary stalls, was engulfed in flames,” Abdullahi stated.
“Approximately 529 stalls were completely destroyed.”
He added that firemen battled the blaze for hours before bringing it under control, successfully preventing it from spreading to other sections of the market. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the incident.
Preliminary investigations suggest that individuals suspected to be drunkards living in the market may have caused the fire.
The Fire Service, however, said further investigations were ongoing to confirm the exact cause.
The incident has left traders devastated, with many lamenting that they lost goods worth millions of naira to the inferno.
Eyewitnesses said thick black smoke billowed across the area as firefighters and residents struggled to contain the blaze.
Residents have appealed to the Kano State Government to assist victims and improve safety measures in markets across the state to prevent future disasters.
The Shuwaki Market fire is the latest in a series of infernos that have plagued Kano in recent months, often linked to poor electrical wiring, open fires, and negligence within crowded commercial areas.
