A devastating fire has ravaged Karu Market in the Federal Capital Territory, causing extensive destruction and loss.
As of this report, goods and properties worth millions of naira have been reduced to ashes, leaving traders and shoppers in despair.
The FCT Fire Service, stationed in Karu Market, responded to the incident but faced difficulties accessing the scene due to the large crowd that gathered.
Traders, who lost their wares in the blaze, were seen wailing uncontrollably over their losses.
“Everything has burnt down. I could not recover anything. This is where we feed from o. Ah, my children’s school fees are there,” one of the traders cried.
“I cannot hold myself, I am in pain – I don’t know if government can help us. My money that has gone here is over ₦10 million. I am tired and I don’t know where to start,” she cried out.
Despite the challenges, soldiers were on ground to maintain order and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical surge, which quickly spread and engulfed parts of the market.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, however, it is clear that the fire has left a significant impact on the community.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and officials are working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
FEMD Sues For Access Road Into Markets
The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has once again emphasized the crucial importance of access in firefighting operations.
Florence Wenegieme, the Acting Director General of FEMD, issued this advice following a fire outbreak at the old Karu Market on Thursday evening.
According to a statement by the Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, a combined team from the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Service were on-site and managed to contain the fire.
Wenegieme, who was present at the scene, noted that the fire started around 6:30 pm.
She mentioned that although the firefighters arrived promptly, they were initially unable to access the market, which is situated behind the new market currently under construction.
“It was the illegal market/ settlement behind the new market under construction that was engulfed by fire. We had enough firetrucks and firemen, but we could not gain access to the market, so we had to break walls to have access to the fire fighting hose, that was what caused the delay in putting out the fire”. She said.
She further stated that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, adding that investigations were however ongoing.
“No Life was lost to the fire incident, and goods worth millions of naira were destroyed,” she added.
The Nigeria Police, Nigeria Army and the Civil Defense Corps were also on ground to ensure crowd control.
