A fire outbreak at the Singer Market in Kano has destroyed property worth over N5 billion, affecting over 1,000 businesses and leaving seven persons missing.

Chairman Junaid Zakari said this in a n interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday. Zakari described the incident as one of the worst tragedies in the market’s history, with four residential buildings housing smallscale businesses razed.

Goods, equipment, and valuables were completely burnt, crippling the livelihoods of hundreds of families. The chairman further revealed that seven persons were declared missing as of the time of filing this report Zakari added that investigations were ongoing to determine their whereabouts to confirm whether they were alive or dead.

He said emergency responders and security agencies were working to unravel the cause of the fire. Zakari described the incident as a tragedy that would never be forgotten in the history of the market, stressing the urgent need for support to help the affected traders 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. Authorities have yet to officially determine the cause of the inferno, as the affected traders continued salvaging what remained of their property.