On Friday night, a major fire overtook the Taiwan market, the city’s main market, in Jigjiga, the administrative seat of the Somali regional state in Ethiopia.
According to witnesses, the inferno caused enormous damage, with the market entirely destroyed.
Witnesses stated that the devastation inflicted by the Taiwan market fire was huge when compared to the Waaheen market fire that happened in Hargeysa, Somaliland, in April last year. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or significant injuries recorded.
Despite efforts to put out the fire, it burned on uncontrollable, and the reason of the tragedy remains unknown. Firefighters were summoned from Hargeisa, Dirdhabe, and Harar to aid locals and regional officials, but their arrival was too late to avoid the fire’s considerable damage.
A similar occurrence occurred in Jigjiga’s main market last March, when a fire ripped through the stalls selling secondhand goods and the vegetable market.
Although the official reason has not been proven, traders assumed that the previous year’s fire was caused by a tank from one of the market’s electrical firms.
The Taiwan market was an important economic centre for the region, with traders from all over the country and beyond arriving to buy and sell a wide range of items, including cattle, textiles, and agricultural products.
The market was also a popular site for city visitors.
The loss of the Taiwan market is a severe blow to the local economy, and the fire’s impact is anticipated to last for years.
The tragedy emphasises the necessity for increased safety precautions in marketplaces around the area to prevent such calamities in the future.