A midnight fire outbreak has razed the popular Dumne grains market, also known as Kasuwan Dadi, in Adamawa State, destroying large quantities of foodstuffs and other goods.
SaharaReporters gathered that the fire started at about 1:22 a.m. on Monday, catching traders unawares as flames swept through sections of the market where grains and essential commodities are stored and sold daily.
Kasuwan Dadi serves as a major grains supply hub for Adamawa State and neighbouring areas and is a key source of livelihood for thousands of families. By the time residents noticed the inferno, many food items carefully stored by traders had already been reduced to ashes.
Eyewitnesses said the scale of destruction would have been worse but for the swift intervention of youths from Dumne, Shilon, Kinde and Dimdima communities, who mobilised in the middle of the night to battle the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the market.
Mothers and elderly women were also seen assisting the youths, risking their lives in desperate efforts to salvage goods and contain the blaze.
Although no casualties were reported as of the time of filing this report, traders suffered heavy losses as shops, grains and other market items were completely destroyed, leaving many families facing uncertainty.
Residents have called on the relevant authorities to urgently assess the damage and provide relief to affected traders, warning that the destruction of a major grains market could worsen food shortages and economic hardship in the area.
