A fire incident on Friday night destroyed goods valued at millions of naira at the bustling Olusola Saraki Market, located in Ita-Amo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The fire, which started around 9:36 p.m., ravaged several shops before the Kwara State Fire Service intervened.
According to a statement issued by the agency’s spokesman, Hassan Adekunle, the incident affected various businesses, including meat vendors, clothing outlets, and provision stores.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered multiple shops engulfed in flames within the 276-shop market complex.
Their swift response and expertise, however, prevented the disaster from escalating further.
“Through swift intervention, professionalism, and expertise, our team successfully contained the inferno, limiting the damage to only seven shops and saving 269 others,” Adekunle explained.
Initial findings suggest that the fire may have been triggered by a power surge caused by fluctuating electricity from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, as reported by the market’s security personnel.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident might have been caused by a power surge following the fluctuating power supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), as reported by the market’s security personnel,” Adekunle added.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade John Olumuyiwa, extended his condolences to the market’s leadership, the affected shop owners, and the entire community.
He expressed optimism that their losses would be restored manifold and emphasized the importance of adopting fire safety precautions to avoid similar incidents in the future.
