A 30-year-old man, identified as Suraja Muhammad, tragically lost his life after being suffocated by smoke during a fire outbreak at a popular Vita Foam store located on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kano.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, caused significant damage to properties and left residents in shock.
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The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the tragedy in a press statement released on Monday.
According to Saminu Abdullahi, the service’s spokesman, “On Sunday, January 19, 2025, at about 18:30 hrs, the state fire service control room received an emergency call from one of our staff, SFS Idris Isah Charo, informing us of a fire incident at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Yan Kafifa Fagge LGA.”
Abdullahi disclosed that fire crews from various stations across Kano were immediately mobilized to the scene. “Shortly after receiving the distress call, the crew on duty from different fire stations within the metropolitan city of Kano were mobilised to the scene of the incident, but the victim was conveyed to the hospital for medical attention before the arrival of our men,” he said.
Upon arriving at the site at about 18:34 hrs, firefighters discovered that a building known as Gidan Alhaji Muhammadu, Mai Katifa, had caught fire. The structure, primarily used as a mattress store, suffered extensive damage. “The fire started on the top floor, destroying the mattress store, one shop, and one toilet. It then spread to the first floor, affecting three shops and one toilet. The ground floor, which housed four shops and two toilets, was partially engulfed by the fire,” Abdullahi explained.
The flames also spread to an adjacent building, which sustained partial damage. Firefighters deployed five jets to bring the inferno under control, working tirelessly to prevent further destruction.
The cause of the fire and the estimated value of the loss remain under investigation.
