No fewer than 22 shops were reportedly destroyed when fire gutted Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Naija News learnt that the inferno reportedly broke out around 1:35 a.m. after one of the occupants of the affected plank shops allegedly failed to properly extinguish a cooking fire.
The flames later reignited and spread rapidly to nearby shops.
Though the total value of goods lost could not be immediately confirmed, traders were said to have suffered losses running into millions of naira.
Confirming the incident, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, said operatives were able to contain the fire before it spread to the section of the market where animals were tied.
He explained: “Out of 323 shops in the market, which include plank shops, kiosks and container shops, the fire destroyed 22 plank shops and six container shops. The affected shops were mainly those where foodstuffs such as rice, yam flour, corn, millet and guinea corn were sold, while the containers housed provisions and daily needs items. It was a very disturbing situation, especially at that time of the night.”
Adekunle noted that firefighters battled through the night to prevent a wider disaster.
He quoted the Director of the Fire Service as commending the swift response of operatives, stressing that their intervention saved hundreds of shops and properties from being consumed.
He urged traders and residents to embrace fire safety practices and avoid negligence, especially in markets where combustible materials are in large supply.
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