An inferno on Friday razed parts of the palace of the Emir of Jama’a in Kafanchan, headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Sources said that the affected apartments formed part of the wing occupied by the emir’s mother.

According to the sources, the fire reportedly started while the family was preparing for the early evening prayers (Magrib), triggering panic within the palace and the surrounding neighbourhood.

A visit to the the palace on Friday showed that there were still smoulders, with visible traces of the destruction, with sections of the affected building badly burnt and several household items reduced to ashes.

Residents and sympathisers thronged the palace for solidarity with the emir and members of his family.

Witnesses said officials of the Kaduna State Fire Service in Kafanchan responded to a distress call but were unable to contain the blaze as their pumping machine reportedly failed to start upon arrival.

Sources said the development hampered early firefighting efforts, allowing the fire to spread and consume four flats before additional support was mobilised.

Volunteers were said to have joined efforts to salvage property and prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the palace.

Though no casualties had been reported as of the time of this report was filed, the incident caused significant damages.

The cause of the fire remained unknown, while the authorities were have yet to issue a statement on the extent of the losses or the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.

Some residents of Kafanchan described the inferno as unfortunate and called for improved emergency response capacity in the containing fires.

(NAN)