Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has commiserated with victims of yesterday’s fire disaster that ravaged the popular Abubakar Rimi market in Kano. He urged the State Government to ensure thorough investigation to unravel the cause of the incident and forestall occurrence.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu in Abuja, lamented the continuous occurrences of fire disasters in markets across the country and urged the managements of markets to always employ all modern means of preventing and combating fire disasters to ensure traders are not subjected to this harrowing loss.

The popular Sabon-Gari market in Kano was in the early hours of Saturday hit by a fire incident that led to the destruction of goods and properties worth millions of naira.

Saraki said: “The continuous loss of merchandise and properties in many commodity markets in the country and Kano in particular to fire disasters has reached a worrisome level that requires urgent measures to combat the trend.

“These fire incidents had deprived our hard working and determined traders the means of livelihood and survival and these are expectedly breadwinners of their families. In addition, these losses represent the depletion of national wealth as most of the victims constitute a significant chunk of entrepreneurial class who are supposedly great contributors to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“This is most unfortunate to the economy of Kano State, more so coming after the destruction of Kurmi market, the oldest market in Kano by fire, and the recent inferno at the furniture section of Abubakar Rimi market

“The Senate is pained by the loss, and I seize this opportunity to underscore the need for adequate preventive measures against fire disasters in our markets. All markets in the country must be built with the plans to prevent outbreak of fire incident and equipped with fire-fighting equipment. Also, market women should be constantly trained in fire preventive measures and drills.”

•Photo shows Bukola Saraki.