By Israel Adamu, Jos
A fire outbreak on Sunday night destroyed properties worth millions of naira at Laranto Market in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred around 11 p.m., after businesses had closed for the day.
Hundreds of people rushed to the scene to help extinguish the fire.
Alh. Idris Shehu, the chairman of the market, confirmed the incident, stating that the fire destroyed goods worth millions of naira. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
He said, “About three sections of the market, including Timber, second-hand clothing, and furniture, were severely affected. While we cannot yet ascertain the exact financial loss, the extent of the damage suggests that we have lost millions of naira.”
Umar Alyu, the chairman of the Timber section, expressed his frustration, saying that had firefighters arrived sooner, the damage would have been less severe.
He added, “It took the intervention of the Chairman of Jos North, Hon. JK Chris, and the Commissioner for Water Resources, who arrived at the scene and called in firefighters from the Government House. They were able to eventually extinguish the fire. Without their timely intervention, the incident could have been much worse.”
