Suraja Muhammad, a 30-year-old man reportedly suffocated by smoke as fire engulfed a popular Vita foam store located at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kano on Sunday.
The incident was confirmed in a press release issued by the Kano State Fire Service through their spokesman, Saminu Abdullahi on Monday.
According to the statement, a fire service staff received a distress call about the incident and immediately swung into action, upon arriving at the scene and discovering the intensity of the fire, about five fire jets from the state fire service were used to tackle the fire and curtailed its impact, which led to a minimal loss of properties and the death of one.
The statement read, “On Sunday, January 19, 2025, at about 18:30 hrs, the state fire service control room received an emergency call from one of our staff, SFS Idris Isah Charo, informing us of a fire incident at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Yan Kafifa Fagge LGA.
“Shortly after receiving the distress call, the crew on duty from different fire stations within the metropolitan city of Kano were mobilised to the scene of the incident, but the victim was conveyed to the hospital for medical attention before the arrival of our men.
“On arrival at the scene of the incident at about 18:34 hrs, the firefighters discovered that a house, popularly known as Gidan Alhaji Muhammadu, Mai Katifa, about 100 x 100 ft, used as a mattress store, Vita from Plaza, caught fire from the last floor. This caused the burning of a mattress store, one shop and one toilet, which were all burnt to the upper floor.”
The state fire service in conjunction with other relevant authorities are still investigating the possible cause of the fire.
