300 Shops Destroyed as Fire Tears Through Ibadan Market
Panic broke out in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday morning after fire destroyed about 300 shops at Oranya Market.
The market is located in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of the state.
Traders selling gold, furniture, second-hand clothes and other goods were among those affected by the fire.
The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed the incident.
Akinwande, however, said the exact number of shops destroyed could not yet be confirmed.
“Yes, it occurred. That number we cannot ascertain, but what is known is that some shops were destroyed,” he said.
According to him, the fire started in the middle of the market following an explosion.
He said it was not yet clear whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source.
“When you have a gas explosion, it would spread, but as I am talking to you, the situation has been under control since 1am,” he said.
The fire comes two days after another outbreak destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway shopping complex along Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan.
The Saturday incident started around 5am in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
The fire damaged the shops before firefighters were alerted and arrived at the scene.
The latest incident has renewed concerns about fire outbreaks in markets across Ibadan, especially in areas where shops are closely packed together.
Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the latest fire and assess the full extent of the damage suffered by the affected traders.
