*Officials warn traders on safety
From Taiye Joseph Ilorin
Traders at Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, counted their losses in the early hours of Wednesday following a fire outbreak that destroyed several shops.
The incident, which occurred around 1:35 am, razed 22 plank shops and six container shops before the arrival of the Kwara State Fire Service. The market, with a total of 323 shops, was spared greater damage due to the prompt intervention of firefighters.
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Preliminary findings linked the cause of the inferno to negligence. According to officials, one of the shop occupants had failed to properly put out a fire used for cooking, which later reignited and spread to nearby shops.
Speaking on the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, through the agency’s spokesperson, SFO Hassan Adekunle, lamented that carelessness remains a major cause of fire outbreaks in markets.
“This unfortunate incident would have been worse without the timely response of our men. We once again call on traders and members of the public to handle fire with utmost care, particularly in markets where combustible items are everywhere,” he said.
Residents commended the firefighters for their swift response, while affected traders appealed for government support to cushion their losses.
