7 Persons Missing As Kano Market Fire Destroys N5bn Wares, Properties

Seven persons have been declared missing following a devastating fire outbreak at Singer Market in Kano on Saturday through to Sunday, which destroyed wares and properties worth over N5 billion.

The chairman of the market, Alhaji Junaid Zakari, disclosed this on Sunday in Kano while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), describing the incident as one of the worst tragedies in the history of the popular market.

Zakari said four residential buildings housing small-scale businesses were completely razed down in the inferno, while goods, equipment and other valuables were burnt beyond recovery.

“Goods, equipment, and valuables were completely burnt, crippling the livelihoods of hundreds of families,” he said.

According to him, the seven persons were declared missing as of the time of filing this report, adding that investigations were ongoing to determine their whereabouts and confirm whether they were alive or dead.

He noted that emergency responders and security agencies were working to unravel the cause of the fire, as authorities were yet to officially determine the source of the inferno.

Zakari stressed that the incident was a tragedy that would never be forgotten in the history of the market and called for urgent support to enable affected traders to rebuild their businesses.

He, however, commended Governor Abba Yusuf for visiting the scene while the fire was still raging, stating that the governor’s swift response demonstrated concern and solidarity with the victims.

Meanwhile, affected traders continued to salvage what remained of their properties as they counted their losses.

One of the traders, Musa Ibrahim, said he lost goods worth over N340 million in the fire.

“The fire had consumed everything we had,” he said, pointing to the charred remains of his shop.

LEADERSHIP reports that the fire started at around 4:15pm on Saturday evening and has been raging for over 18 hours, with firefighters working tirelessly to put out the fire.