Traders at Suq Mugdi Market in Garissa County are counting losses after a fire razed a large section of the busy marketplace.
Property of unknown value was destroyed in the blaze.
Suq Mugdi serves as the county’s main market and a key commercial hub in the region.
Fire razes Suq Mugdi Market in Garissa. Photo: Courtesy.
Images and videos shared online showed thick plumes of smoke and large balls of fire billowing from the heart of Garissa town, where the market is located.
Locals blamed the county government for a slow emergency response, which they said allowed the fire to spread and cause extensive damage.
Locals’ efforts to put out the fire failed as the blaze continued to spread rapidly through the market structures.
Although a fire truck from the county government arrived moments later, little could be salvaged.
The cause of the fire has not been established yet even as traders demanded an investigation into the incident.
