A huge fire has destroyed a large market in Hargeisa, Somalia’s capital, injuring more than 25 people and damaging hundreds of shops and stalls.
The flames burned all night and thick smoke covered the city.
The Wahin market housed about 2,000 stalls and was the financial lung of Hargeisa. The president of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, Jamal Aidid, said it accounts for 40-50% of Somaliland’s economy.
The causes of the fire remain unclear.
According to local officials, the fire started late Friday night and was brought under control in the early hours of Saturday, although some fires remained.
“The city has never experienced such a catastrophe,” Mayor Abdikarim Ahmed Moge told reporters. “This was the financial center of Hargeisa and despite the efforts of firefighters the market was destroyed,” he added.
According to the mayor, the firefighters found it difficult to reach the spot because the benches were placed very close to each other and there was no space between them to pass.
Somali President Muse Bihi Abdi went to the scene and said at least 28 people, including nine women, had been injured. He promised that the government would provide $ 1 million in aid to traders.
“I lost everything tonight,” said Bassie Ali, a Wahin market trader. “I had a lot of shops in the market and now there are only ashes left,” he explained. “What the disaster has taught us is that we need to properly plan the future market we will build,” he added.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not been recognized by other countries or international organizations.
In Britain, many politicians and Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself have expressed solidarity with the people. “We are in contact with the authorities, our international partners and the country’s aid services and are considering what kind of assistance is needed,” African Affairs Minister Vicky Ford said on Twitter.
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