Welding work is suspected to have triggered the fire that engulfed GOICO Plaza in Musanze District, destroying merchandise and other property belonging to traders.
The blaze is being described as the largest fire in the district’s history, although authorities have not officially confirmed its cause.
Dukundimana Johnson said sparks from welding work may have landed on clothes and started the fire. His sister, who sold shoes in the building, lost merchandise worth an estimated Rwf18 million, he said.
Witnesses also claimed that the property’s management had been carrying out roofing work because the building was leaking and wanted to fix it before the rainy season.
The fire broke out at around 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, and spread through the five-storey complex, prompting traders and others inside to flee.
The Northern Province Private Sector Federation chairperson said the market housed more than 2,000 traders and was visited by about 12,000 people daily.
The blaze continued into Sunday as firefighters worked to contain it.
Musanze District Mayor Claudien Nsengimana said no one had died, while the cause and full extent of the damage remained under assessment.
