As traders in the Katsina State popular central market continue to count their losses, the State Government, has promised succour to the affected persons.
Governor Aminu Masari said this shortly, after visiting the market for an on the spot assessment.
He said that , plans are underway to compensate the victims of the inferno, find out the root causes and put modalities in place, to avert future occurrences.
The traders had described the inferno as the worst since the creation of the state, more than 30 years ago.
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Lamentations filled the air as thick smoke emanated from several burnt shops inside the central market, with goods in billions of Naira worth of investment razed in the inferno.
An eye witness, Yusuf Saeed, said that the fire had started from a bank located in the center of the market at about 7:30 am, before spreading to other market stalls.
He also attributed the devastating effect and the rapid spread of the inferno to the presence and sale of gas cylinders, as loud explosions were heard from afar.
One of the victims 22-year old Aliyu Usman, who deals in foodstuff electrical appliances, cooking utensils as well as books, said he only retrieved a copy of the Qur’an from his burnt shop.
He therefore appealed to the state government to immediately come to their aid, by assisting them to rebuild their shops and replace their goods.
(Edited by Tunde Orebiyi)
