Phones and electronic accessories worth millions were destroyed Wednesday night in a fire at the popular Phone Market, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident occurred around 9:06 p.m. at the Challenge Phone Village located within the bustling Challenge Market. The blaze, which gutted 10 shops, was linked to a power surge that triggered the inferno.
Confirming the development in a statement on Thursday, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, said the agency received a distress call around 9:06 p.m. and promptly deployed its firefighting crew to the scene.
He explained that on arrival, several shops were already engulfed in flames, but swift intervention prevented further destruction.
“The market comprises over 120 shops, 80 kiosks, and numerous stands. Our team was able to limit the inferno’s impact to only 10 kiosks,” Adekunle stated.
He added that the affected stores were primarily phone sales and repair outlets. Preliminary investigation by the fire service identified a power surge as the likely cause of the incident.
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Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with thick smoke and flames lighting up the night sky. Traders and residents were seen making frantic efforts to salvage goods before the fire crew arrived.
Traders who spoke at the scene expressed shock and grief over the losses, with some estimating their destroyed goods at several million naira. One affected shop owner lamented that he had stocked up recently and lost everything to the inferno.
Despite the destruction, many stakeholders in the market commended the fire service for their timely response, noting that without it, the damage would have been much worse.
The Kwara State Fire Service urged traders to ensure proper electrical safety practices and to avoid power overloads to prevent future occurrences.
No casualties were reported as of the time of filing this report, but investigations are still ongoing to determine the full extent of damage.
Crediblenewsng.com
