No fewer than two traders have been confirmed dead and 25 others sustained varying degrees of injuries after an explosion occurred in Talata Mafara Central Market in Zamfara State.
As gathered, many of the victims were on admission at a General Hospital in the community town, where medical experts were battling to stop the death toll from increasing.
Eyewitnesses’ narrated that the explosion occurred around 2:30 p.m., yesterday, with a loud bang, forcing many to scamper for safety in the state.
They added that the blast ignited a fire that rapidly engulfed parts of the market, causing panic among traders and shoppers.
“We heard a loud bang, and before we knew it, fire spread everywhere. People ran in different directions, but many were caught in the flames,” recounted the trader who witnessed the incident.
Confirming the incident, the Zamfara Police Command said two traders had died, and more than 25 people suffered burns.
A Dane gun was recovered at the scene of the explosion but authorities have yet to make any arrests on the arms discovery.
It was learnt that the suspect linked to the gun may be among the casualties that died after the explosion inside the market.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion and identify those behind the incident.
