Electrical Spark Causes Devastating Fire at Kaura Modern Market, Abuja. Destroying 39 Stores

A destructive fire, sparked by an electrical malfunction, completely destroyed a block of 39 open stores at the Kaura Modern Market in Abuja late on Friday night.

The fire began around 11 p.m. and raged for several hours, only being contained by a joint squad of firefighters from the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service at about 2 a.m. on Saturday.

According to MT Ibrahim, the spokesman for the FCT Fire Service, the incident was triggered by an electrical spark from a power switch device installed in one of the stores.

The situation was exacerbated by a fuel-filled generator stored inside the shop where the fire originated, causing the flames to spread rapidly.

The fire resulted in the loss of various items, including foodstuffs, generators, refrigerators, fruits, umbrellas, electrical equipment, household objects, and portions of the market's roof.

Engineer Adebayo Zacchaeus, the acting director of the FCT Fire Service, praised the firefighters for their quick thinking and well-coordinated efforts to extinguish the fire.

This incident has heightened concerns nationwide regarding fire safety in markets, particularly those with subpar electrical systems and improper storage of combustible materials.