Fire outbreak destroys 24 shops in Kwara
A major fire outbreak in the early hours of Tuesday destroyed 24 shops at the popular Mandate Market in Ilorin, Kwara State capital. The incident, according to the spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, occurred at about 04:44 hours. The fire involved a market comprising over 200 shops, out of which 24 were […] Fire outbreak destroys 24 shops in Kwara
Black News 
A major fire outbreak in the early hours of Tuesday destroyed 24 shops at the popular Mandate Market in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The incident, according to the spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, occurred at about 04:44 hours.
The fire involved a market comprising over 200 shops, out of which 24 were affected.
The spokesman disclosed that the magnitude of destruction was largely intensified due to a late call made to the state fire service, as the fire had already spread significantly before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Nevertheless, the gallant firefighters of the state fire service displayed exceptional courage and professionalism in combating the inferno and successfully averted further destruction across the market.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by a power surge.
“The fire reportedly started in a shop where phone accessories were sold alongside a phone-charging business, before spreading to nearby shops used for storing foodstuffs and other commodities.”
Traders and market stakeholders at the scene commended the efforts of the firefighters for their swift intervention and for preventing the fire from engulfing the entire market.
At about 10:00 hours, the Director of the state fire service, Alabi Muhammed, personally visited the scene to sympathise with the affected traders.
During the visit, he met with both the male and female heads of the market associations, expressing deep concern over the incident and reassuring them of the fire service’s continued support.
The Director urged market operators to invest in both active and passive fire safety measures, including the installation of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and proper electrical protection devices, especially in situations where shop owners may not be present during emergencies.
Alabi Muhammed also reminded market leaders about the annual fire safety sensitisation programmes organised by the state fire service across markets in the state, emphasising the need for traders to actively participate and implement the safety recommendations provided during such engagements.
