The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) says that the lack of access caused a delay in putting out the fire at the Karu old market in Abuja on Thursday.

FEMD acting director-general Florence Wenegieme said this in a statement on Friday.

Ms Wenegieme underscored the need for fire service personnel and trucks to access market, public, and private buildings during fire outbreaks for quick interventions to reduce losses.

She said the fire started around 6:30 p.m. but was controlled by the combined team of FEMD, FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service.

According to her, the efforts prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding houses.

She, however, explained that it was not the new Karu market under construction that was engulfed by the fire but an informal market and settlement behind the new market.

She said, “There are fire stations at two locations in Karu. We have the Karu Fire Station, and a Fire Station and firefighting truck in the new Karu Market under construction.

“Firefighting trucks arrived at the scene of the fire on time but could not get access to the market to put out the fire on time. We had to break walls to pass the firefighting water horses through to be able to put out the fire.”

She added that the fire lost goods worth millions of naira, but no life was lost. She further said that personnel of the Nigeria police, Nigeria army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were also on the ground for crowd control.

Mr Wenegieme thanked the Department of Engineering and the Federal Capital Development Authority for activating Julius Berger Fire Service to provide the needed support.

She said that an investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

(NAN)