The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has identified lack of access as a major cause of delay in extinguishing the fire at Karu old market in Abuja on Thursday. The acting Director-General of FEMD, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, emphasized the importance of ensuring access for fire service personnel and trucks to markets and other buildings during emergencies for timely interventions.
The fire, which started around 6:30 p.m., was eventually controlled by a combined effort of FEMD, FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Service. Despite these efforts, the initial lack of access hindered immediate response, necessitating the breaking of walls to allow firefighting equipment to reach the blaze.
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Mrs. Wenegieme clarified that the fire affected an informal market and settlement behind the new Karu Market, which is still under construction. She highlighted that fire stations and trucks were available in Karu, including at the new market site, but the congested layout of the old market posed significant access challenges.
While the fire caused the loss of goods worth millions of naira, no lives were lost. The Nigeria Police, Army, and Security and Civil Defence Corps assisted with crowd control during the incident. The acting D-G expressed gratitude to the Department of Engineering, Federal Capital Development Authority, for mobilizing Julius Berger Fire Service to support the firefighting efforts.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
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