MOGADISHU (Dawan Africa) – A major fire broke out on Monday evening at Suuq Bacaad, one of Mogadishu’s largest and busiest markets, killing one person and destroying property worth more than $500,000, market officials confirmed to Dawan Africa on Tuesday.
The blaze reportedly began around Maghrib prayer time inside a residential structure located within the market, due to an electrical fault. It quickly spread to several sections and burned for more than 10 hours, before being fully extinguished shortly after midnight.
The fire devastated key areas of the market where vendors sold household goods, fresh produce, plasticware, cooking utensils, and gold items—all vital sources of livelihood for small-scale and low-income traders.
“One life was lost. I was here for six straight hours last night — the losses here are easily beyond half a million dollars,” said the Chairperson of the Suuq Bacaad Traders’ Union,Yusuf Mohamed Wehliye speaking to Dawan Africa.
Emergency response teams from the Benadir Regional Fire Department, private firefighting companies, and local residents participated in the firefighting efforts. However, the response was significantly delayed due to the narrow internal layout of the market, which made access difficult for emergency vehicles.
Officials from the Benadir Regional Administration said that while some traders were able to recover portions of their goods, many others suffered total losses.
“There were multiple emergency teams that responded, but their efforts didn’t reduce the damage. Entire sections of the market have collapsed,” said Mustafe Isse Mahmoud, a vendor affected by the fire, speaking to Dawan Africa.
Market authorities have confirmed that plans are underway to redesign and widen internal roads within Suuq Bacaad, in order to improve emergency access and reduce the risk of similar disasters in the future.
While fires have occurred at Suuq Bacaad in the past, Monday night’s incident is being described by traders and officials as the most destructive in recent memory.
