Inferno razes Sabon Gari market

Another fire, the fifth in eight months, in the early hours of Saturday burnt the textbooks section of the popular Rimi Market at the Abacha Mosque area of the commercial city of Kano State.

According to an eyewitness account, moments after the fire started, it spread from stall to stall and to a branch of a first generation bank located in the market.

The cause of the fire outbreak, which started at about 3am at the textbooks/educational instruction materials section of the market, had yet to be established as of the time of filing this report.

Eyewitnesses who spoke to our correspondent also blamed the unavailability of water and firefighting vehicles in the market for the extensive damage done by the fire.

Our correspondent observed firefighters watching helplessly as the inferno spread from shop to shop.

No fewer than 600 shops were consumed by the inferno.

Also, all routes leading to the scene of the fire disaster were blocked with motorbikes, hand trucks, as well as human traffic, all of whom were struggling for passage to salvage their precious wares.

To avoid hoodlums cashing in on the confusing situation to loot, armed police officers kept vigil, closely watching the crowd, all of whom were desperately eager to catch a glimpse of the raging inferno.

The fire outbreak came on the heels of the constitution of a recent committee by the Kano State Government to determine the causes of incessant fire outbreaks, particularly at Rimi Market.