A midnight inferno on Wednesday razed at least 22 shops at Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The fire, which started around 1:35 a.m., was reportedly caused by a cooking fire that had not been properly extinguished in one of the plank shops. The flames quickly spread, consuming 22 plank shops and six container shops before firefighters brought the situation under control.
Spokesman of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, confirmed the incident in a statement. He explained that out of 323 shops in the market, only 28 were affected, mostly foodstuff and provision shops.
Adekunle said the Director of the Fire Service commended the firefighters for their swift intervention, which prevented the blaze from escalating further.
He also cautioned traders to always observe fire safety precautions to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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