A large inferno engulfed the popular Karu modern market on Thursday night. The cause of the fire was not immediately known but a section of the market appeared to be badly affected with customers saying they lost wares that ran into millions of Naira in value.
A shop owner, Hon. Jibreel Babangoshi, he was on the ground said “The Karu market situation is bad.
Only one fire truck was on ground. They had no water when the fire started. When they got water, they couldn’t gain access as shops had been constructed on every available space.
They (firefighters) had to go through the back, from the village.
“Reinforcement came from Area 10, but access remains a challenge.
“Number of shops, worth of goods destroyed not yet known. Cause of fire not yet known.
“Fire started from Informal Sector section of the market”.
The FCT Fire Service with a station in Karu Market responded to the incident, however, faced challenges in accessing the scene due to the large crowd of people flocking to the area.
“Everything has burnt down. I could not recover anything. This is where we feed from o. Ah, my children’s school fees are there.”
“I cannot hold myself; I am in pain – I don’t know if government can help us. My money that has gone here is over ₦10 million. I am tired and I don’t know where to start,” another trader cried out.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed; however, it is clear that the fire has left a significant impact on the community.
