FCT: Traders count losses as fire razes Karu market

At the time of this report, goods and properties valued at millions of naira have been turned to ashes, leaving traders and shoppers in a state of distress.

The FCT Fire Service, based at the Karu Market, responded to the incident, but encountered difficulties due to the large crowd of people gathered in the area.

Despite these challenges, soldiers were present to maintain order and ensure everyone’s safety.

Preliminary investigations suggest that an electrical surge may have triggered the fire, which rapidly spread throughout the market.

The full extent of the damage is still being evaluated and officials are working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the outbreak but it’s evident that the fire has had a significant impact on the community.

The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has emphasized the critical importance of access in firefighting operations.

The Acting Director General of FEMD, Florence Wenegieme, issued this advisory as a result of the fire which engulfed the old Karu Market yesterday evening.

A team comprising the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Service were on-site and managed to contain the fire outbreak at the market.

Wenegieme, who visited the scene of the incident, reported that the fire began around 6:30 pm.

She mentioned that although the firemen arrived promptly, they were unable to access the market, as it is situated behind the new market currently under construction.

“It was the illegal market/settlement behind the new market under construction that was engulfed by fire. We had enough firetrucks and firemen, but we could not gain access to the market, so we had to break walls to have access to the fire fighting hose, that was what caused the delay in putting out the fire,” she explained.

She further stated that the cause of the fire was still to be determined, and investigations were ongoing.

“No lives were lost in the fire incident, but goods worth millions of naira were destroyed,” she added.

The Nigeria Police, Nigeria Army, and the Civil Defense Corps were also present to ensure crowd control.

The Acting DG commended the Department of Engineering Services for alerting Julius Berger Fire Service.