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An overnight blaze at the Machakos Mitumba Market, a second-hand clothing market in Kenya, has reduced businesses to ashes and left hundreds of traders counting devastating losses.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. on Saturday and spread rapidly through the market, destroying stalls and causing structures to collapse. The market supports hundreds of small-scale traders who rely on daily sales to provide for their families.
Eyewitnesses said highly combustible materials in the market fuelled the blaze, allowing it to spread within minutes.
“The fire spread so fast that there was nothing anyone could do,” a trader who identified himself only as Frank told Nation Kenya.
Another trader, Nzioki Kioko, said he had stocked goods worth about Sh200,000 on Friday, all of which were destroyed in the fire.
“I had invested everything in my business. I had stock worth Sh2 million, but everything has been burnt. Nothing was salvaged,” he said.
Machakos Sub-County Fire Officer Francis Nzioki said firefighters responded immediately after receiving reports of the blaze but encountered a massive fire that required additional reinforcement. He added that firefighters worked through the night to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring buildings.
The cause of the fire had not been established as of Sunday, with authorities expected to launch an investigation into the incident.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti sympathised with the affected traders, describing the incident as a major setback for hundreds of hardworking residents.
“I am deeply saddened by the devastating fire at Machakos Mitumba Market, which has destroyed businesses and disrupted the livelihoods of many hardworking traders,” she said in a statement.
By Sunday, the once-bustling market had been reduced to twisted metal sheets, charred timber and heaps of ash, as traders searched through the debris for anything they could salvage.
