A devastating fire has engulfed Gidan Gilas, popularly known as Gidan Mai, at the busy Singer Market in Kano, destroying goods worth millions of naira and causing panic among traders and residents on Saturday evening.
Eyewitnesses said the inferno started from a provision shop, which was quickly consumed by flames. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, attracting a large crowd as traders struggled to salvage their goods and prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
According to reports from the scene, the fire rapidly extended to adjoining structures, heightening anxiety in the densely populated market area. As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Officials of the Kano State Fire Service responded promptly with a fire truck, but firefighters were hampered when the water supply was exhausted while battling the raging flames. A second fire truck later arrived to continue the firefighting efforts.
In a show of corporate support, a private water tanker from Aspira Nigeria Limited was deployed to assist in extinguishing the blaze. Despite this intervention, many traders and residents expressed concern that additional water tankers were urgently needed to fully contain the fire and prevent further losses.
The incident comes just weeks after a previous fire outbreak at Singer Market caused significant damage, compounding the hardship faced by traders and raising fresh concerns about fire safety in major commercial centres across the state.
More details later…..
