More than 50 people narrowly escaped death on Tuesday when a gunpowder explosion rocked a market in Talata-Mafara town, Zamfara State.
The victims, who sustained varying degrees of injuries, were initially taken to the General Hospital Talata-Mafara for treatment. However, due to the hospital’s lack of facilities to handle severe cases, they were transferred to the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, for advanced medical care.
A medical worker at the Talata-Mafara General Hospital, speaking anonymously, confirmed the transfer, stating, “The patients had to be evacuated to Sokoto because they could not be treated here due to lack of facilities. The victims were seriously injured by the explosion and needed proper care.”
An eyewitness, Aminu Mohammed, explained that the explosion was triggered by a locally made gun that ignited a store of gunpowder.
“The incident occurred in the afternoon while the market was busy. A member of a vigilante group came to buy gunpowder for his locally made firearm. Suddenly, his gun exploded, causing the stored gunpowder to ignite. The entire area caught fire,” Mohammed recounted.
He added that more than 50 persons sustained severe injuries, while several others were hurt in the chaotic attempt to escape. The fire could have spread further, but security personnel and firefighters quickly intervened to contain the situation.
The chairman of Talata-Mafara Local Government Area, Yahaya Yari, confirmed that he was in Sokoto with the victims for medical treatment but declined further comments.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, for official confirmation were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
