By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
A fire outbreak at the popular Kugbo Furniture Market along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway has destroyed several shops and goods worth millions of naira.
The fire, which broke out on Friday, reportedly started after an electrical spark and quickly spread through sections of the market, consuming furniture, equipment and other valuable goods.
An eyewitness, Mrs Mary Aniekan, who recounted the incident, said the fire started suddenly after an electrical spark was noticed in the affected area.
According to her, traders and other people around the market immediately raised the alarm and made frantic efforts to put out the fire and salvage their belongings.
“I was in my shop when we saw the fire and people running to safety, while others were trying to put the fire out but they could not. The fire started when AEDC restored electricity.
“Firefighters came but their water finished and up till now they have not been.able to put the fire out,” she said.
Aniekan said the blaze, however, spread rapidly, destroying several shops and goods before firefighters and other emergency responders arrived at the scene.
Several traders were seen trying to recover whatever they could from their shops, while others watched helplessly as their businesses and properties were consumed by the fire.
There was no reported loss of life in the incident, although the fire caused extensive damage to property and left several traders counting their losses.
Firefighters were deployed to the market to battle the inferno and prevent it from spreading to adjoining shops and structures.
The exact value of goods destroyed has not been officially established, while the cause of the fire is yet to be independently confirmed by the relevant emergency authorities.
However, the eyewitness account linked the outbreak to an electrical spark.
The incident caused panic among traders and residents in the area, with affected business owners calling for urgent assistance to assess the damage and help them recover from the losses.
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