An early morning fire on Monday gutted at least 44 shops and stores at the bustling Singa Market in Kano State.

The incident, which occurred around 5:00 a.m., was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, in a statement released later that night.

According to Abdullahi, the fire service received an emergency call from one Mubarak Muhammad, who reported the outbreak to the central control room.

“Upon arrival, our officers discovered a one-storey building measuring approximately 150 by 150 feet, known as Alhaji Abdulmunafi Yunusa House, already engulfed in flames,” the statement said.

The spokesperson noted that 25 makeshift shops located at the front of the building and 19 stores on the upper floor were completely destroyed. However, firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading to 24 other stores upstairs and all shops on the ground floor.

He added that the rescue operation was hampered by poor road access due to trailers parked along the route, which delayed the team’s movement to the site.

The Director of the Fire Service, Alhaji Sani Anas, led the emergency response team.

During the investigation, officials met with the head of the building, Ambassador Garba Ibrahim Mai Maggie, and a security guard, Malam Ibrahim, who disclosed that the entire structure was powered by a single electrical switch.

“From our assessment, the switch was poorly managed, and we strongly suspect that an electrical fault originating from the temporary shops triggered the fire,” Abdullahi stated.