- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 107 locked up shops were burnt with goods worth Millions of Naira destroyed at Katako timber market fire outbreak in Jos, Plateau state, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) records.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency on its official X handle on Thursday.
According to the statement, Plateau state’s NEMA Zonal Coordinator, Eugene Nyelong, had visited the burnt down market with his team to assess the damage caused by the incident which occured on Sunday 17th November 2024.
The team discovered the cause of the incident which was traced to an electrical surge on a pole.
While no loss of live was recorded, Eugene sympathized with the traders whose goods and shops were destroyed.
He, however, clarified that the agency does not give cash support but based on the impact assessment.
The statement read in part “The Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Eugene Nyelong led a team of staff for an on-the-spot assessment of the burnt down Katako market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“The market was ravaged by fire as a result of an electrical surge on a pole which occurred around 10:00pm on the 17th of November, 2024.
“Though there was no loss of life, 107 locked up shops were affected, livelihood and businesses worth millions of Naira were destroyed in the inferno.
“The ZC who was received by Chairman of Timbers, Mal. Yusuf Aliyu Umar and the Chairman of Carpenters, Mal. Shuaibu Ali sympathised with the affected persons and prays such never happens again.
“However, he made it clear that the agency does not give cash support but based on the impact assessment, a report will be forwarded for consideration to help cushion the effect and to help them pick up their livelihood again.
“He stressed that safety measures should be put in place as the dry seasons set in to avoid further outbreaks of fire.”