A devastating fire swept through Singa Market in Kano metropolis at dawn on Wednesday, destroying 44 shops and goods worth millions of naira.
The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, who said the fire began around 5:00 a.m. at a building known as Alhaji Abdulmunafi Yunusa House.
According to Abdullahi, the blaze started from the temporary shops attached to the building before spreading to nearby structures. Firefighters from various stations across the metropolis responded promptly after receiving a distress call from one Mubarak Muhammad.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Fire Outbreak Hits Ado Bayero Mall In Kano
“On arrival, they found a one-storey building measuring about 150 by 150 feet completely engulfed in flames,” Abdullahi said.
The fire razed 25 makeshift shops in front of the building and 19 stores on the upper floor, while 24 other stores upstairs and all ground-floor shops were successfully saved.
The Fire Service PRO revealed that trailers parked along the access road hampered the rescue operation and delayed firefighters’ response time.
READ ALSO: Bandits Invade Kano, Abduct Women Amid Gunfire
Preliminary investigations indicated that the inferno was caused by a faulty electrical connection.
“The head of the house, Ambassador Garba Ibrahim Mai Maggie, and one of the security personnel told us that the building uses a single electric switch for the entire structure. We suspect the fire started from this switch,” Abdullahi explained.
He praised firefighters for preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings and urged traders to ensure proper electrical installations to avert future disasters.