A fire outbreak has ravaged the Gwagwalada Main Market in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, destroying shops and goods worth millions of naira and leaving traders in distress.

The fire, which was captured in a video shared on Facebook, was said to have started at about 7pm on Saturday and was still burning fiercely when the footage was posted, with thick flames and smoke seen rising into the night sky.

The video was shared by Sani Usman Zakariyya, who called on the relevant authorities and emergency responders to intervene urgently to save the market from total destruction.

In the accompanying caption, he wrote, “FIRE OUTBREAK IN GWAGWALADA MAIN MARKET. The attention of fire service is urgently needed, and the security are afraid to open the market for security reasons.”

Efforts were ongoing to contain the inferno, as personnel of the fire service were later seen at the scene making frantic efforts to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the market.

Security operatives had cordoned off the market to prevent shop owners and hoodlums from gaining access, while the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Kasim Mohammed, was also at the scene to ensure the situation was brought under control.

An eyewitness, who spoke at the scene, suspected that the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault, although the claim had yet to be confirmed, just as the extent of damage and the number of shops affected had yet to be determined as of the time of filing this report.