Over 500 Kaduna Wood Market Sellers Suffer Setback as Billions were Lost to Inferno

Over 500 Kaduna Wood Market Sellers Suffer Setback as Billions were Lost Billions to Inferno

By Zainab Tanimu– Kaduna (Nigeria)

Years of hard work razed to ashes. The unfortunate fire incident that engulfed the old Pantaka Wood Market at the early hour of Friday has been described as first of its kind as over hundred trailers of wood got burnt in the inferno. Wood and other building materials worth over billions of naira got burnt in the incident leaving victims with no clue as to what tomorrow might hold.

Speaking to journalists who visited the scene of the incident, the Chairman of the Yoruba section of the Old Panteka Wood Sellers Association, Moshood Olabode while describing the pathetic situation said over 500 members of his association were affected by the inferno and that non could take anything out of their shops.

While speaking, Moshood says: “ I had a phone call around 3.00 am this morning about the incident and I quickly responded by notifying other members and the fire service, informing them about the incident and I also moved down to the scene,” he explained.

Moshood who is also a victim further explained that the fire had consumed over hundred trailers of wood to the unfortunate incident.

According to him, “I have lost wood worth over two million naira to this fire incident and so many of my members who has lost wood and other equipment worth millions of naira to the inferno”.

Another victim of the fire incident, Mr. Gabriel Tunde who took our reporter round the affected areas condemned the nonchalant attitude of the fire service for not responding to their calls immediately.

“The action of the fire service is nothing to write home about. They did not respond promptly to our calls and when they came around they only came with one truck and that could not help the situation and that is why we find ourselves in this situation,” he explained.

The traders who lauded the prompt response of the Kaduna State Governor called on him to come to their aid.

As at the time of filling this report the cause of the fire was not ascertained.