No fewer than 65 shops were destroyed by fire in the furniture section of Sabon Gari Market in Kano on Thursday night, an official said.
The Director of Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Balarabe Kabara, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the incident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. affected permanent and temporary structures.
Kabara attributed the fire to negligence but said the agency would meet with the affected traders to ascertain what they lost individually.
“The main cause of the inferno is negligence because people are in the habit of playing with fire, especially now that it is harmattan period,” he said.
Kabara advised the people to avoid unnecessary use of fire as any mistake could lead to fire disaster.
He recalled that seven female students recently lost their lives in fire incidents in two secondary schools in the state and advised school authorities to ensure proper monitoring of students.
Kabara also advised students to desist from cooking and using electrical appliances, especially water heater and pressing iron, in their hostels to avoid fire outbreaks
