Two De@d and Dozens Injured in Explosion at Zamfara Market.

At the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, two victims of the gunpowder explosion that shook the Talata Mafara weekly market in Zamfara State passed away while undergoing treatment.

Sani Adamu Kanarkalgo and Muhammad Lawal Matusgi, who died in the Tuesday explosion, were among those taken to Sokoto after sustaining serious burns.

More than fifty vendors and consumers in the area of the market where locally made firearms are sold were reportedly hurt in the explosion, which happened at around 11:30 a.m.

According to Talata Mafara, an anonymous medical staff member at the General Hospital, the hospital was already overburdened prior to the incident.

“We received many victims, some with first-degree burns, but due to a lack of space and resources, we had to refer several others to Sokoto,” he said.

Former Governor Abdulazeez Yari arranged vehicles to take all injured people, including those who were first treated at Talata Mafara General Hospital, to Sokoto for specialised care, according to Red Cross Divisional Secretary Mu’azu Yusuf, who confirmed the development.

According to a local government employee who asked to remain anonymous, the explosion was terrible and had an impact on other areas of the market.

“This is the largest market in our region, and despite numerous people’s concerns regarding the Dane gun merchants’ presence, the authorities took no action.

In the same area of the market, a young girl was murdered by an unintentional discharge only a year ago.We are requesting that the authorities move the gun dealers to a more secure location outside of town,” he stated.

He rejected proposals to outlaw the sale of Dane firearms, arguing that the villages rely on them to protect themselves from bandits.

ASP Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, acknowledged the explosion but stated that he had not yet received all the information.

“I just got back from Abuja, but I’ll get the Divisional Police Officer in Talata Mafara’s full briefing and give you an update,” he stated.