MBALE–Hundreds of traders are counting losses after fire gutted Bugwere market in Mbale town, leaving traders counting losses.
The cause of the fire that broke out in the wee hours of Sunday morning remains unknown but a source that preferred anonymity says the fire could have been caused by a short circuit.
The market chairperson, Mr Moses Musayi, said the fire destroyed more than 300 stalls belonging to different vendors, leading to the loss of millions of shillings.
Residents, however, casted fire fighters for failure to respond on time. The residents claim the fire fighters were alerted on time.
Phionah Nanyama, a trader in the market, said she had just procured a loan to boost her business.
“This is a terrible setback becauseI had just secured a loan to boost my business,” she said.
The Elgon Police spokesperson, Mr Suwed Manshur, said investigations are on to ascertain the cause of the fire.
“The fire is believed to have started from illegal connection from one of the a shops,” he said.
Fire outbreaks in the eastern district are a common occurrence. Just a few month ago, fire gutted a petrol station in the town, leading to loss of millions.