Fire razes Jos firm, Kwara market

 Scene of the Kwara fire. Photo: Success Nwogu

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Jude Owuamanam and Success Nwogu

Goods estimated at about N300m were lost on Sunday as fire razed a section of the Oja-Tuntun Market, Baboko, Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State.

It was gathered that huge cash left in some of the shops were burnt to ashes.

When our correspondent visited the burnt market, some of the victims were seen weeping as they removed debris from their burnt shops.

It was learnt that no person died or was injured during the disaster.

Though the cause of the fire had yet to be established, some night guards at the market told our correspondent that they suddenly noticed smoke billowing from one of the affected shops.

They added that before they could get help, some sections of the market had been engulfed by the inferno.

One of the victims, Hajia Ramdalat Alasi, said she lost goods worth over N7m, while she estimated the total goods burnt in the Cosmetics and Provision section of the market at N300m. She said the fire, which raged for hours, started at about 12am, when people had left the market.

Alasi said, “I was told that the fire started around midnight. Everything was burnt to ashes. In my shop, I lost N7m, but generally in Cosmetics and Provisions section, we lost about N300m, while 21 shops were affected. Government should please assist us.”

Another victim, Mr. Wasiu Hamzat, said he got a call around 2pm that her mother’s shop was on fire.

He said, “My mother lost goods worth about N5m. Sincerely I cannot say precisely the cause of the fire because there was darkness everywhere.”

A resident, Mr. Muhammd Abdultalib, said people made frantic efforts to evacuate some goods from the burning shops and even alerted firefighters in the state.

He stated that before the firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire had escalated.

He said, “Some people rushed to salvage some of the goods, but unfortunately, it was not possible. The firefighters came, tried their best but a lot of harm had been done before their arrival.”

The Chairman of the Ilorin West LGA, Alhaji Tajudeen Zulu-Oloje, decried the loss suffered by the traders, adding that the council was already battling with financial challenges.

He, however, said the council would do its best to reconstruct the burnt shops.

Meanwhile, a midnight fire consumed a petroleum jelly firm, Bowlis Industries Nigeria Limited, in the Rafin-Pa area of the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state, destroying goods worth about N80m.

Bowlis are the manufacturers of Vowles and Realine Pomade and perfumes.

Our correspondent gathered that the fire started at about 11pm when power was restored to the area.

The General Manager of the company, Malam Abubakar Muhammad, said workers had closed from work.

He added that he was later alerted by some of their neighbours that fire had engulfed the factory.

He said, “They told me that there was a spark from a high tension wire when electricity was restored. The wire dropped on the roof of our production unit, which later caused the inferno.

“As soon as I arrived here, I called men of the state fire service, who responded with three of their trucks. One came first, but the fire was too much, so they called for reinforcement. The fire was put out at about 12.45 am.”

The fire, which engulfed the warehouse, reportedly spread to the production, packaging and storage sections.

The GM said, “We lost raw materials worth N 58.6m, and finished products worth N10,7m. Our Siemena mixer machines, as well as fire extinguishers worth N 4.4m were also lost. Other things were destroyed as well, but we are still computing the value. For now, we have calculated our loss to over N80m.”

Source:punch