Traders at the market inspect their property following the fire incident. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
Traders at Mombasa’s Kongowea market are counting losses after a fire razed down a section of the market on Saturday night, destroying property of unknown value.Confirming the incident, Kisauni OCPD Christopher Rotich said police officers have launched investigations into the incident. Veronica Wachira, the secretary-general of Kongowea Market central committee traders' association said the 7.30pm fire incident was caused by an electric fault."We are aware that electric lines had some problems, which resulted in the inferno that has seen a number of the traders lose their goods worth thousands of shillings," said Wachira.Wachira called upon the county government to ensure that there are firefighting trucks at the market to avoid such incidents in future.Alice Kamau, a second-hand clothes trader at the market, said she lost Sh 200, 000 following the incident."I don't know where to start. I am confused. I just can't imagine this has happened to me,” said Kamau, as quoted by the local daily."I bought the clothes in the morning only for them to be destroyed at night,” she added.