The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed that an early morning fire on Monday gutted parts of Singa Market, destroying several shops and properties worth millions of Naira.
According to a statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the fire broke out around 5:00 a.m. following a distress call received from one Mubarak Muhammad, who alerted the central control room about the incident.
The Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Sani Anas, immediately mobilized firefighters from various stations within the Kano metropolis to the scene.
Upon arrival, the officers found a one-storey building of about 150 x 150, identified as Abdulmunafi Yunusa House, engulfed in flames.
Abdullahi disclosed that the inferno destroyed 25 temporary shops attached to the front of the building and 19 stores on the upper floor.
However, firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading further, successfully saving 24 other stores on the upper floor and all shops located on the ground floor.
He noted that rescue efforts were initially hampered by obstructed access roads caused by wrongly parked trailers.
During the operation, the firefighters met with the head of the house, Ambassador Garba Ibrahim Mai Maggie, and a security personnel, Malam Ibrahim, who revealed that the entire building was connected to a single electrical switch.
“Based on our investigation, we discovered that improper use of the main electrical switch likely caused a fault in the wiring, which we suspect triggered the fire from the temporary shops,” Abdullahi said.
He assured that the Service remains committed to responding promptly to emergencies and urged residents and traders to adhere to electrical safety regulations to prevent similar incidents.
