A devastating fire outbreak on Tuesday gutted parts of a popular market in Kwara State, destroying shops and goods worth millions of naira.
The incident, which occurred in Ilorin, threw traders into panic as the fire reportedly spread rapidly before emergency responders could contain it.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started from one of the locked shops before escalating to adjoining stalls, consuming fabrics, food items and other merchandise.
“We just started hearing people shouting ‘fire, fire!’ before everything went out of control. People were running helplessly,” an eyewitness said.
The cause of the fire had not been officially confirmed, though traders suspect an electrical fault.
Fire service officials and market leaders were reported to have worked together to prevent the blaze from spreading further to other sections of the market.
