A devastating fire broke out in Zamfara State on the morning of a bride's wedding, destroying her apartment and six others, including the home of a personnel from the Zamfara State Fire Service. The fire began around 8:40 am, sparking panic and screams from women nearby.
According to eyewitness Malan Dan Sokoto, the flames originated from an apartment belonging to the oldest woman in the affected family, identified as Hajiya. He recalled, "When we tried to evacuate the elderly woman from her apartment, we saw the flames rising. We attempted to put it out with water, but it only made the fire worse, as if we had added petroleum."
The elderly woman explained that the fire started in the ceiling of her room, though she could not identify the exact cause. She described hearing an explosive sound before the fire broke out.
Neighbours reported that the fire service was promptly notified, but firefighters struggled to respond effectively due to technical faults with the fire trucks. For over an hour, the firemen worked to fix the trucks, delaying their ability to contain the blaze.
The fire ultimately destroyed seven apartments, including one belonging to a firefighter. The bride, who had just moved her belongings into the apartment with her brother the previous day in preparation for her wedding, was left devastated upon arriving at the scene. "Everything we had arranged for her marriage life was completely destroyed," said her elder brother, fighting back tears.
Zamfara State Fire Service Executive Secretary Bello Sani confirmed the incident, stating that although the fire trucks had malfunctioned initially, the fire service responded promptly. He also noted that the state government had revived several fire stations that were previously non-functional, including stations in Kaura Namoda and Talata Mafara, which now have fire trucks. Sani assured that efforts are underway to ensure the fire trucks are fully operational in the future.
The fire has left the bride’s wedding plans in ruins and raised concerns over the readiness of the state’s fire services in handling emergencies.
