No fewer than 24 shops were razed on Tuesday following a major fire outbreak at Mandate Market in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The incident, which occurred around 4:44 a.m affected part of the popular market housing over 200 shops before firefighters from the Kwara State Fire Service brought the fire under control.
According to a statement issued by the spokesman of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, the level of destruction recorded during the incident was worsened by the late alert sent to the agency, as the fire had already spread extensively before emergency responders arrived at the scene.
He, however, commended the courage and professionalism displayed by firefighters, noting that their swift intervention prevented the inferno from consuming the entire market.
“Nevertheless, the gallant firefighters of the Kwara State Fire Service displayed exceptional courage and professionalism in combating the inferno and successfully averted further destruction across the market,” the statement said.
The fire service disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated that the incident was triggered by a power surge.
It explained that the fire reportedly started from a shop where phone accessories were sold and phones were being charged before spreading to adjoining shops used for storing foodstuffs and other goods.
Traders and market leaders were said to have praised the firefighters for responding promptly and preventing a larger disaster in the market.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, later visited the scene at about 10:00 a.m. to sympathise with affected traders and assess the level of damage caused by the incident.
During the visit, he met with leaders of the market associations and assured them of the agency’s support.
Muhammed also urged traders and shop owners to prioritise fire safety measures in their business premises by installing fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, fire alarms and electrical protection devices.
He further reminded market leaders about the annual fire safety sensitisation campaigns organised by the state fire service across markets in Kwara State, stressing the importance of complying with safety recommendations to prevent future occurrences.
The fire service reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state through proactive fire prevention and emergency response measures.
