Karu Market disaster claims billions of Naira as traders recount losses

IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja

Traders of Karu Modern market in the Federal Capitol Territory (FCT),Abuja on Thursday night helplessly watched their goods destroyed by fire.

Eye-witness account revealed that the fire which started about 7.20 pm shortly after the traders left the market to their various homes to mark the end of the days business.

Having been alerted by those living close to the market of the frightening flame that was accompanied by smoke, some of them rushed back to the market rasing alarm that alerted traders who rushed to the market in an attempt to save their goods.

According to our source, efforts by men of Fire Service drawn from other neighbouring stations with additional four trucks to put off the fire was frustrated by lack of access to the section of the market that paid the highest price in the inferno.

The source further noted that the particular section of the market where fire started  attracted the highest level of customers in the whole market.

He also added  that while some traders alleged that the fire was caused by faulty electrical appliances, others claimed that it was  the handiwork of unknown hoodlums who were bent on sabotaging efforts of traders in the market.

Our source who doubles as a trader in one of the shops in the market and preferred to be  anonymous, narrated how some hoodlums were busy looting people’s hard earned goods without much attention by traders themselves to save some of the goods from being destroyed by fire.

He noted that since it was difficult for the men of Fire Service to have access to the section of the market that the fire was most pronounced, all they did with their vehicle was to extend their water  close to the section of the market that suffered the most with the  aim of safeguarding the parts of the market that were not touched by the fire to avoid colossal damage to thousands of shops that were housed by the market.

Our source further disclosed that the fire lasted till about 10pm since it was difficult for men of the Fire Service located in the market to put off the fire for lack of accessibility to the very section of the market.

Efforts by our Correspondent to get further reactions from victims of the inferno failed as they refused to comment on their loss

Meanwhile, all efforts by our Reporter to reach the Public Relations officer of the market at the time of filing this report proved abortive.

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