Large blaze bursts in the main market of the port city of Kismayo, the capital of Jubaland, at approximately 10 PM, EAT, late Monday.
The fire started after an electric shock catches a small generator pumping out fuel in an area full of large stores that sell fuel and petroleum products.
The fire quickly expanded in the block and flamed at least five shops within its vicinity, destroying millions of US dollars worth of properties as the fire department struggles to contain the fire.
Jubaland vice president, Mohamud Siyad, paid a visit to the scene the next morning, Wednesday, and immediately appointed a committee comprising of some members of the state cabinet and urged them to quickly respond the asses the property damage caused by the fire how efforts to compensate the businesses.
A similar incident happened in Hargeisa mid-this year, 2022, after a fierce fire gutted large parts of Hargaisa’s main market.
Some experts contend that the fire could have been contained if the fire department had adequate equipment and skills to manage such a blaze.
Mogadishu’s Bakara Market, which is the largest in Horn of Africa and supplies beyond Somalia borders, occasionally deals with unpredictable fire and causes loss of property. Hormuud, the largest telecom company in Somalia, provides fire department services and quickly reacts with its sophisticated equipment.
Other states in Somalia are still vulnerable when such incidents happen which causes severe damage to the market gain and shakes the local economy.
Some political experts contend that the international community should help Somalia get modern fire department services available in all states.
