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Some parts of the palace of the Emir of Jama’a in Kafanchan, the headquarters of the Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were engulfed by fire on Friday.
According to sources who spoke to NAN, the apartments affected by the fire were part of the wing occupied by the Emir’s mother.
The fire reportedly started when the Emir’s family was preparing for Magrib, an Islamic early-evening prayer, sending the family into panic.
According to eyewitnesses, the Kaduna State Fire Service responded to a distress call. The firefighters, however, were unable to contain the blaze because their pumping machine reportedly failed to start upon arrival.
As a result of these hampered attempts to fight the fire, the blaze spread and consumed four flats in the palace before additional support was mobilised.
A group of people volunteered to salvage property and prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the palace.
No casualties were recorded at press time, but the fire caused significant damage to the monarch’s palace.
The cause of the fire remained unknown, as authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
Residents of Kafanchan have described the inferno as unfortunate and called for improved emergency response capacity in the area.
