A fire outbreak on Friday razed parts of the Palace of the Emir of Jama’a in Kafanchan, Headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the affected apartments formed part of the wing occupied by the Emir’s mother.
According to the sources, the fire reportedly started while the family was preparing for the early evening prayers (Magrib), triggering panic within the palace and the surrounding neighbourhood.
When NAN visited the palace on Friday night, there were still smoulders, with visible traces of the destruction, with sections of the affected building badly burnt and several household items reduced to ashes.
Residents and sympathisers thronged the palace to express solidarity with the Emir and members of his family.
Eyewitnesses said officials of the Kaduna State Fire Service in Kafanchan responded to a distress call but were unable to contain the blaze as their pumping machine reportedly failed to start upon arrival.
The development, sources said, hampered early firefighting efforts, allowing the fire to spread and consume four flats before additional support was mobilised.
Local volunteers were said to have joined efforts to salvage property and prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the palace.
Although no casualties had been reported as of the time of filing this report, the incident had caused significant damages.
The cause of the fire remained unknown, while the authorities were yet to issue an official statement on the extent of the losses or the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
Residents of Kafanchan have described the inferno as unfortunate and called for improved emergency response capacity in the area.
