Last night a devastating fire ripped through a market in Howlwadaag District, Mogadishu. The market, situated behind Hotel Wehliye, was a vibrant and bustling place where people of all walks of life came to buy and sell goods.
The market provided the community with an array of products,, from fresh fruits and vegetables to kitchen utensils and charcoal, the market had it all.
However, to the shock and horror of retailers, they awoke to the news that almost all of the market had burned down. Luckily, no one was harmed in the fire, on the other hand the major financial damages caused is crippling for the tradespeople.
With none of the traders having any type of insurance to safeguard their assets from circumstances like this, it truly is a major loss.
The cause of the fire has not yet been revealed. Dalsan TV had the opportunity to speak to some of the victims of this unexpected incident. One stall owner, an older woman, explained that she had heard there was fire from her neighbours.
When she rushed to the market it was engulfed in flames, she said that she had lost the most property in he fire with all of her store items perishing in the fire.
This occurrence is not the first of it’s kind as fires in markets have become a reoccurring issue in Mogadishu in recent times. Just earlier this year another fire caused significant damages in Bakaaro Market leaving property worth over $2 billion in shambles according to official government reports.
Despite the recurrent fire breakouts, Somalia is grappling with a shortage of firefighters. This shortage increased with the fall of the central government in 1991.While, entire Somalia desperately needs firefighting services, Mogadishu where the need lies most. Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, which also the main hub of the country’s commercial activities, doesn’t have adequate firefighting service compared to the current needs.
Mogadishu’s increasing population plus the number of new business being set up and also the increase in the number of apartments makes it firefighting services immense. The existing firefighting services are inadequate compared to the needs.