Fire outbreak has razed Kumo Main Market in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, on Sunday, burning some shops and destroying valuables.
The incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. when the fire broke out and spread rapidly through parts of the busy market.
According to our source, the inferno gutted several container shops, stores and foodstuff stalls, many of which were fully stocked at the time.
Some traders said the speed of the fire left them with little or no opportunity to salvage their goods before the affected shops were completely razed.
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A resident, Abubakar Kumo, blamed the scale of the destruction on the absence of an immediate response from the fire service, forcing residents to rely on buckets of water and other local means to battle the blaze.
“People had to join hands to control the fire because no fire truck arrived on time. We thank God it was eventually put out before it spread to the entire market,” he said.
As of press time, the cause of the fire had not been determined. Meanwhile, affected traders have appealed to the government and relevant agencies to strengthen fire safety and emergency response in the market to prevent a recurrence.
