Cries of anguish filled Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara state, after a midnight fire gutted 22 shops and 6 container stalls, leaving traders counting losses worth millions of naira.
The inferno, which started around 1:35 am on Tuesday, was traced to negligence by a shop occupant who failed to properly extinguish fire used for cooking, according to Hassan Adekunle, spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service.
Out of 323 shops in the market, the swift intervention of firefighters stopped the fire from spreading further, saving hundreds of other stalls and livelihoods.
Many traders, who rushed to the market in the early hours, broke down in tears as their goods and years of investment went up in flames.
The Director of the State Fire Service warned that negligence in handling fire can wipe out entire livelihoods, urging the public to adopt strict safety measures, especially in markets filled with combustible materials.