Monday August 14, 2023
Beledweyne (HOL) - A massive fire destroyed large parts of the Dervish market in Beledweyne town of Hiiraan region on Sunday night.
According to local officials, the blaze spread quickly through the market, but the fire did not cause human casualties. However, many low-income people suffered property losses from the fire.
"We did not receive any fire extinguishers; we extinguished the fire using tankers sent by commercial companies and water taken from nearby villages. We have been valiantly combating the fire since morning," stated a resident who participated in the firefighting efforts.
The cause of the market fire remains uncertain, as the local administration started investigations.
Beledweyne, a rapidly developing city housing major corporations, currently lacks a single firefighting resource, including vehicles. In the past, the fires engulfed commercial zones and residential structures in the city.