Explosion Sparks Devastating Fire, Wipes Out Hundreds of Shops in Ibadan

An explosion triggered a major fire at the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, destroying a large number of shops and goods belonging to traders.

The fire reportedly started around midnight on Monday and affected several sections of the market, where traders sell gold, furniture, second-hand clothing and other merchandise.

Eyewitnesses said the inferno caused extensive damage, with one trader estimating that nearly 300 shops may have been destroyed.

Another witness described the incident as devastating, saying the scale of the destruction was difficult to comprehend.

However, the Oyo State Fire Service cautioned against putting a definite figure on the number of shops affected until a proper assessment is completed.

The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed the incident and said the fire reportedly started in the middle of the market following an explosion.

Akinwande said it was still unclear whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source.

He added that firefighters were able to bring the situation under control by about 1 a.m., preventing the flames from spreading to other parts of the market.

He explained that determining the exact number of shops and the value of goods destroyed would require a post-fire investigation.

The incident has renewed concerns over the repeated occurrence of fires in major markets across Oyo State, which often leaves traders with huge financial losses and threatens their livelihoods.

A similar fire outbreak occurred in the herbal section of Oranyan Market in 2024, reportedly destroying more than 200 shops.

Reacting to the latest incident, the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheem Adebayo Lawal, expressed sympathy to the affected traders, their families and residents of the market community.

Lawal described the fire as a tragic incident that had disrupted the livelihoods of hardworking traders and imposed significant hardship on affected families.

He assured victims that the state government would support them during the difficult period.
According to him, emergency response teams had been deployed to assess the extent of the destruction, while immediate relief measures were being considered for those affected.

He also said the government would work towards restoring the market and introducing measures aimed at preventing similar disasters in the future.

The Acting Governor commended the Oyo State Fire Service and other emergency and security agencies for their swift response, while appealing to traders and residents to remain calm and hopeful.

The Oranyan Market fire occurred barely two days after another fire destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex along Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of the state.

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