A midnight inferno has razed the second hand’s clothes sections of the Jos Main Market in Plateau State, destroying properties worth millions of Naira in the process.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the incident happened around 1:30 am when residents had gone to bed, and despite efforts to contain the inferno by the state fire service and individuals, some goods, including shops were destroyed.
Chairman of Jos Main Market Association, Mustapha Ibrahim lamented that power surge might be responsible for the fire outbreak.
He said several shops were razed and properties destroyed in the unfortunate event.
Meanwhile the Plateau State Government has expressed deep sympathy and sadness over the unfortunate fire incident.
A statement signed by the state’s Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon Joyce Lohya Ramnap said, “The unfortunate fire outbreak is a devastating blow to the state’s economic hub and we shared in the grief of those who suffered losses.
“We commended the bravery and swift action of the fire services and other volunteers who were involved in putting out the fire.”
The state government called on all market stakeholders to work together in prioritising safety and implementing necessary measures to avoid a recurrence of such unfortunate event.
She also urged traders to continue to keep the prevailing peace in the state in spite the hardship that they might be going through as a result of the inferno.
The statement further pledged Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led administration’s commitment to stand with the affected traders during this challenging time and assured them of government’s support in mitigating the effects of the incident.
The commissioner added that Governor Mutfwang has also mobilised a team to look into the cause of the inferno to forestall future occurrence.
