Fire guts 118 shops at the Kabong Market in Jos

A raging fire gutted 118 shops at the Kabong Market in Jos on Thursday. A NAN correspondent, who visited the market, could not access the burnt section because some of the shops were still in flames.

The actual cause of the fire could not be ascertained, but the Chairman, Kabong Market Traders Association, Mr. Christopher Jama, said the fire started by 4am.

Jama claimed that the fire was caused by an electrical spark when public power supply was restored in the night.

He told Governor Simon Lalong, who visited the market, that 118 shops were burnt, adding that goods destroyed included bags of maize, beans and rice.

Lalong promised to remodel the market and also address the traders’ plight.

The governor directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce to liaise with the market union to get details of the incident.