A massive midnight inferno has gutted parts of the popular Singa Market and Bello Road in Kano, destroying goods and properties worth billions of Naira.
The fire, which reportedly started late Sunday night and raged until Monday morning, has left traders in total shock, with some commercial buildings completely collapsing under the heat.
“We Left the Market in Peace”
Traders who arrived at the scene to find their livelihoods in ashes described the incident as a sudden catastrophe. Auwal Umar, a prominent merchant in the market, told THE NORTHERN STAR ONLINE NEWS that the cause of the fire remains a mystery.
“We left the market yesterday in peace, only to be called in the middle of the night that the market was on fire. We have lost billions. No one can give an exact figure of the loss right now; we can only estimate, but it is catastrophic.”
Umar praised the intervention of private fire service trucks from nearby companies, noting that they arrived in larger numbers than the government’s fire trucks, though he commended both for their efforts.
Structural Collapse and Massive Damage
The intensity of the blaze caused at least one major building to collapse entirely. Abdullahi Isa, another trader, witnessed the destruction of several stalls and residential structures used as warehouses.
“A whole building collapsed after being completely burnt. We cannot yet say how many shops were affected, but the damage is extensive. We have to wait for the situation to calm down before we can truly assess what has been lost,” Isa said.
No Casualties Recorded
In what many have described as a “miracle,” no lives were lost in the inferno. Ibrahim Hamza Musa, a shop assistant, confirmed that despite the massive financial loss, no injuries or deaths were recorded.
“We don’t know the cause yet. We suspect it is an act of God, but we hope the fire service investigators can find the real reason so we can prevent this in the future,” Musa added.
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