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Blaze engulfs major market in Niger's capital
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-14 09:00
A huge fire swept through a major market in Niger's capital on Wednesday,
sending a plume of black smoke over the dusty city and drawing hundreds of
traders desperate to grab what they could from the inferno.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties but the market,
which sells planks, paints and building materials, was closed when the fire
broke out after nightfall.
Katako market supplies hardware materials to all of Niger and is one of
Niamey's biggest markets. Firemen roared up in trucks to battle the blaze but it
quickly destroyed a quarter of the stalls, shops and hangars.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and a quarter of the
population faces food shortages because of a severe drought and locust invasion
last year.
Niamey, a jumble of 1970s concrete buildings that sprang up during a
long-dead uranium boom, is on the banks of the mighty river Niger. Fires are
relatively common.
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