Just In: Fire Razes Old Bida Market

More than 600 shops at the old market in Bida in Niger state have been destroyed by fire yesterday night. According to the  reports gathered,   the fire started at about 8.30 p.m., destroyed goods and other property in the old market. Naija News Learnt

Witnesses who were at the venue of  the raging inferno   said the  firemen from the Bida Fire Service and Federal Polytechnic Fire Service could not access the burnt section of the market as some shops were still in flames. The cause of the inferno could not be ascertained as at the time this report.

Mohammad Badugu, the Chairman, Bida Local Government, told NAN that the entire market was engulfed in fire.

“We are expecting more firefighting vehicles from Minna as our neighbouring local government firefighting vehicles are not in good condition,” Mr. Bagudu said.He  also confirmed that the Bida fire service and federal polytechnic fire service, the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and good Samaritans rallied to extinguish the fire.

According to the chairman, all the 600 shops in the old market were completely burnt. He listed goods destroyed to include clothes, motorcycles, building materials, bags of maize, beans, rice, palm oil and poultry products. He also expressed shock at the development, promising that the council would try to rebuild the market without much delay. Naija News gathered