Property worth millions destroyed in Hargeisa market fire

GOOBJOOG NEWS/HARGEISA: A huge fire that broke out in Hargeisa town on Friday night has resulted in millions of losses after property of unknown value was razed to the ground in the 8 pm inferno.

Speaking to the media, Hargeisa Mayor Abdikarin Ahmed Mooge said that the fire led to the destruction of lots of property, adding that no casualties had been reported so far.

The fire, described as one of the biggest in recent years in the capital, is said to have broken out in one of Hargeisa’s largest markets, Waheen bazaar, located in the middle of Hargeisa, and is home to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses.

By morning,  a better part of the market had been salvaged, with Somaliland officials citing slow response to the emergency due to poor access roads to the site, which deteriorated the situation further. 

The cause of the night inferno is not yet known, although initial reports indicate that the fire emanated from a house situated in the market, which later spread to the whole market.

However, Somaliland authorities have said investigations have commenced to unravel the cause of the fire that has razed the livelihoods of thousands of traders to the ground.