Date: 2021-04-14

Fire outbreak has destroyed 30 shops, food items, meat and farm tools worth millions of naira at the Oro Central Market in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The PUNCH gathered that a heap of yam tubers, cow meat, goat and sheep as well as farm implements were burnt in the fire outbreak which occurred on Monday.

The inferno was said to have been caused by careless refuse burning around the market area.

Men of the Kwara State Fire Service said they were alerted to the incident by a police officer identified as ASP Yusuf at about 3.12pm.

The Head of Media and Publicity of the state Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, said, "The vicious incident occurred on Monday afternoon at about 15:12 hours at Oro Central Market in Oro Kwara State, when the brigade was summoned to the scene through a telephone call by one ASP Yusuf.

"Although the inferno was huge, our firemen were able to demonstrate high level of professionalism and in no time the ravaging inferno was totally extinguished.

"Out of the 354 shops in the market area, 30 shops were consumed by the fire, and the other remaining ones were rescued by the firemen.

"According to our officers present at the scene, the inferno was caused due to the careless refuses burning by an unknown person, and spread to a shop, and later escalated to many other shops in that vicinit," Adekunle said.

He said the Director of the State Fire Service, Prince Falade Olumuyiwa, charged everyone on the fire safety responsibility in order to drastically reduce the incessant fire outbreaks that have been happening in the state.

Meanwhile, the State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited Oro Central Market on Tuesday where he commiserated with victims of Monday's inferno.

The governor, who inspected the burnt shops, described the incident as unfortunate, promising government's assistance for the victims.