A fire incident occurred at the popular Masaka Market in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, destroying property worth millions of Naira.
The burnt market hosts different types of goods such as cosmetics, clothing, phone accessories, fruits and foodstuff, consumables, provisions, abattoir and others and its patronage is second to none as buyers believe that things are pretty cheap over there.
The cause of the fire, which started at 11:30pm on Friday December 27, 2024, is believed to be an electrical short circuit in one of the public conveniences, and gutted close to about 500 shops with the goods therein in ruins.
Traders were seen wailing and weeping and making last minute efforts to retrieve whatever is left of their goods from their shops.
One of the victims, Josephine Eze disclosed to our Correspondent that that she just stocked her shop with wares only for her efforts to go down the drain.
“I am completely devastated,” she said.
“My goods just arrived today and I’ve stocked my shop preparatory to the New Year, now everything is engulfed by the fire,” Mrs. Eze lamented.
Another fellow, John Douglas, whose shop was affected by the fire shared his experience.
“Our businesses, which we rely on to support our families, have been brought to a standstill. We feed our families from what we sell, and now everything has been reduced to ashes in a matter of hours.”
He added, “Where do we start from? Our hopes and plans have been shattered. We are appealing to both the federal and state governments for assistance during this difficult time. We also urge well-meaning individuals and NGOs to support us.”
Geraldine Okeke who spoke amid tears said she never got to know about the inferno until the next morning (Saturday) and that was quite late for any rescue mission.
” I learnt the fire started around 11:00pm which means it wasn’t long after I closed and retired for the night.
“Even the Fire Fighters, my Neighbours told me, arrived quite late after the harm had been done.
“As it stands now, I’ve got nothing to leave for because my life savings have been taken off me by this fire.
“January is upon us, how are we going to navigate the difficulties and financial challenges it presents?,” she asked.
Another trader, John Samuel, expressed his shock, saying no one expected such a disaster, especially during the festive season.
He stated that they watched helplessly as the fire raged, with firefighters not arriving until around 2:00 am on Saturday—by which time most of the shops had already been destroyed.
“The few shops that were unaffected by the fire are few in number. The lack of fire services in Karu LGA is a major factor contributing to the enormous loss we’ve suffered.
“I urge the government to ensure that fire service personnel, properly equipped, are posted to every market in the state,” he added.
When contacted, the Director of the Nasarawa State Fire Service, Ombogus Joshua, who confirmed the incident, said his team received a distress call at 11:45 pm on Friday.
However, he lamented that their vehicle had broken down, and no other vehicle was available to transport the firefighters to the scene in time, which delayed their arrival.
“Investigations are ongoing, and once completed, we will determine the exact number of shops destroyed,” he added.
There are unconfirmed reports that one of the victims has passed on after what is best described as a colossal loss.
It was gathered that the Man collapsed and died of a heart attack and every effort to revive him at a medical facility failed.
