An early morning fire outbreak has devastated Simra Multi-Purpose Market, a small-scale industrial hub in the Dakata area of Kano, destroying goods and properties worth millions of naira.
The inferno started at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, ravaging several factories engaged in nylon and plastics production.
According to Barr. Ibrahim Isa Aliyu, the market’s founder, the fire caused extensive damage, reducing production machines, raw materials, and finished goods to ashes.
“The fire started around 4 a.m., we cannot ascertain the amount of property we lost at the moment but the loss is huge," he said.
Barr. Isa commended the Kano State Fire Service for their timely intervention and called on the government and relevant agencies to provide urgent assistance to help them recover from the disaster.
“Most of the affected people set up the business themselves, so we want government assistance because without that a lot of us cannot afford to start from scratch again,” he remarked.
The General Chairman of Simra Multi Purpose Market, Nura Muhammad, revealed that “hundreds of shops were destroyed as a result of the fire."
He further confirmed the scale of destruction. “This is a tragedy for our market. Over 5,000 traders have lost their businesses, and millions of naira worth of goods have been destroyed.
"Please we call on the government and well-meaning individuals to support the victims in this difficult time.”
Another affected business owner, Dauda Haruna Tula, confirmed that the destruction was overwhelming, affecting numerous businesses that relied on the facilities for their daily operations.
Tula lamented over the losses incurred, stating that expensive industrial equipment, including production machines, raw materials, and finished goods prepared for delivery, were all lost in the fire.
“We have suffered an immeasurable setback. Many small-scale business owners have lost everything overnight, and the road to recovery will be extremely difficult.”
Abdullahi Buhari Usman’s two recycling shops, including his recycling and crushing machines worth millions of naira, were also reduced to ashes in the devastating blaze.
Abdullahi described the loss as a nightmare. “Everything I worked for is gone,” he lamented. “My machines, my investment, my hard work destroyed in a matter of hours. I don’t even know where to start.”
Initial reports suggest that the fire was triggered by an electric pole when the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) restored power supply to the area.
Witnesses described how sparks from the pole ignited the flames, which rapidly spread across the industrial market.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, confirmed the fire incident.
Abdullahi said their officials are still gathering information regarding the incident. He assured that a detailed report would be released once the investigations are concluded.
