JIGJIGA, Ethiopia [SMN] – Property worth millions of dollars was destroyed last night in another massive fire that razed down the market stalls in Jigjiga, the capital of the Somali regional state in eastern Ethiopia.
The cause of the fire that engulfed the Taiwan market has not been disclosed, but officials said the damage is so extensive as 933 shops burst into ashes and no loss of life has been confirmed yet.
The firefighters with the support of the residents jointly managed to put out the fire and put the situation under control, but the inferno destroyed the whole market.
“The people and the government are working hard for this disaster and the fire is not easy, but we have to work hard with the help of Allah,” said Mrs. Halima Hasan, Minister of the Office of Women & Children in the Somali regional government.
It was the third time of this year that Jigjiga Market burned like this by a blaze.
The president of the regional state, Mustafa Muhammad Omar, visited the site on Saturday morning, sharing his feelings with the community and saying that it is a divine disaster.
He said that they are sharing the tragedy with the community and noted that committees will be formed to find out the damage, and they will be part of the efforts to support the traders and rebuild the market.
