A fire outbreak has swept through Latrikunda Sabiji market, destroying nine shops with almost nothing left.

The fire is believed to have been started by an electrical spark.

Abdou Jeng, who deals in perfume, lost everything in his shop.

“There is nothing left,” he says, as he cleans up the debris.

The embers are still smoldering as fellow shopkeepers join forces to put out the flames.

Another victim, Isatou Mbye, also lost all her materials. She appealed for support and called for authorities to help designate roads within the market to prevent a recurrence of such disasters.

Mayor Ahmed Talib Bensouda, accompanied by a high-powered delegation, visited the scene to express his solidarity with the affected shopkeepers.

He urged shopkeepers to avoid installing their meters without consulting staff members of the National Water and Electricity Company.

“Please, people should also avoid installing their metres on iron poles by themselves,”he told the crowd of shopkeepers.

He ordered the KMC market manager to work with market vendors and shopkeepers to design roads within the market.

By Adama Makasuba