Bizman jumps into raging fire, dies in Kano Saturday, 13 March 2010 00:00 Ted Odogwu
At least nine traders were feared dead and over 2,000 shops razed as fire gutted Kano, the biggest textile market in West Africa, located at Kantin-Kwari area of the state. One of the deceased was a businessman who jumped into the fiery fire in a bid to retrieve money from his shop.


The inferno, which occurred in the wee hours of the day, was said to have consumed goods estimated at N25 billion.
According to eyewitness account, the fire started at about 1.00 a.m. from a three-storey building located within the market in the ancient city of Kano.


However, a source close to the traders said the fire started when a transformer, located at the premises of the three-storey building, suddenly exploded after electrical power was restored to the vicinity by Power Holding Company of Nigera, PHCN. According to the source, the fire quickly spread to adjoining shops, which were clustered in the area.
The inferno, described as mysterious by some onlookers, did not evenly spread, as expected but avoided some shops and affected others.


As the fire raged, one of the affected traders suddenly escaped from the grip of sympathizers and rushed into his burning shop in an attempt to salvage large sums he said he withdrew from the bank a day earlier. Unfortunately for him, it was a journey to the great beyond, as balls of the raging fire consumed him in the process, and as the time of going to press, his body was yet to be retrieved from the inferno.
Another trader, who successfully climbed to the third storey of the building housing his shop, got trapped in the process. In his desperate attempt to escape from the heat generated by the fire, which had hit about 300 degrees, he jumped to the ground floor and was immediately stretchered to the hospital in a state of unconsciousness.


Thousands of traders who besieged the area made successful attempts to salvage some of their wares, while the fire fighters were busy battling to curtail the fire which had been on for over 13 hours at press time.
The intensity and magnitude of the fire overstretched the capacity of the State Fire fighters, prompting other private companies, namely, ASAH Transport Company, Borini Prono, Al-USABS Construction Company, Dantata & Sawoe, and Standard Plastics to render a helping hand, using their state-of-the-art fire fighting equipment to combat the fire. However, the fire wasn’t quenched.


Kano State Chief Superintendent of Fire Service, Adamu Kawo, who said he arrived the scene, shortly after he was contacted at about 2.30am, immediately swung into action, stressing that his fire fighters encountered difficulty gaining smooth access to the affected buildings. He explained that it was due to the clustering nature of the buildings in the area.
State Director of Emergency Relief Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Alkassim Ungogo, disclosed that he contacted NEMA Director-General in Abuja , Alhaji Audu Bida, who promptly dispatched a helicopter to the scene, which helped to combat the fire from the sky.


Banks within the vicinity temporarily closed shop, while their security operatives were on red alert keeping vigil at their premises to avoid the infiltration of miscreants into their premises.
Despite police presence, some hoodlums had a field day, as they carted away goods and other valuables, mostly textiles, and other assorted goods.
The State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Aji Gano, personally visited the scene, during which he immediately, ordered the deployment of six units of armed mobile police units to beef up security in the area Amsalco, a popular textile merchant lost goods, worth over N200 million.


http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43325:bizman-jumps-into-raging-fire-dies-in-kano-&catid=672:top-stories&Itemid=794

what is happening to nigeria? tragedies all over the places

newmaster:

what is happening to nigeria? tragedies all over the places

Nigerian tragedies are man-made; a result of years of injustice, corruption, and mis-management

Katsumoto:

Nigerian tragedies are man-made; a result of years of injustice, corruption, and mis-management

I totally concur with your view on this subject. The unfortunate part is that some of the tragedies were humanly avoidable.

But there should be a standard fire service station very close to such big market. There should be fire service alert withing the market too. That should be a lesson to Governments of the 36 states to always provide preventives device. I sympathised with those who lost their lives and properties.