A section of the Kaura Modern Market in Abuja, located opposite the Prince and Princess market in the Kaura District, was engulfed in flames on Friday night.
The fire, which began around 11 p.m., destroyed approximately 40 shops and consumed a range of goods, including foodstuffs, appliances, and household items.
READ ALSO: Lagos under fire as flames engulf major commercial hub
Acting Director of the FCT Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, confirmed the cause of the blaze was an electrical spark from a power change-over installed in one of the shops. The situation was worsened by a generator that was also inside the shop where the fire started.
Adebayo reported, “Property involved; Open Market block that comprises 39 shops of foodstuffs. Items lost: foodstuffs, generators, refrigerators, fruits, umbrellas, electrical appliances, household items, and some parts of the roof.”
He added, “Cause of fire: Electrical spark on a power change-over installed in one of the shops. The fire was put under control by the combined teams of FCT fire service and Federal fire. Fire under control at 1:59 a.m.”
The Director did not provide information on any casualties or injuries related to the incident. Addressing criticisms about the Fire Service’s response time, Adebayo explained that network issues had delayed the initial communication.
He stated, “The only challenge we had was network. They couldn’t reach us on time. I was there myself. When they called, I had to mobilize the Games Village service and in about 10-12 minutes, they were there. But you know to a person at the scene, one minute would have felt like a long time. And then the Asokoro unit joined about 15 minutes after.”
