Authorities in Musanze District said that no fatalities were recorded after a fire gutted GOICO Plaza, the main market in the city, causing extensive damage on Saturday, October 10.
The fire broke out around 4:00 PM on the rooftop of the five-storey building and rapidly spread down to the second floor, destroying large quantities of goods. By 6pm all the floors had been affected. Efforts to bring the fire under control went on for hours.
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By Sunday morning, firefighters were still working to put out any remaining blaze. About 2,000 traders worked in the building.
Addressing residents and affected business owners on Sunday morning, Musanze District Mayor Claudien Nsengimana said the total financial value of the damage is still being assessed.
"We are thankful that no one lost their life in the fire," Nsengimana said. "Efforts to fully contain the fire and secure the scene are ongoing, meaning no one is currently allowed inside to salvage goods or inspect the damage."
"The most important thing is that everyone is safe. We do not want anyone getting injured as the building remains unsecure," he added, offering words of comfort to the distressed community.
Affected vendors expressed overwhelming grief and called for action. David Gatete, a local trader who had a business worth Rwf100 million, lost everything when the second floor caught fire.
"We request a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire, as well as enhanced firefighting capacity as Musanze continues to expand rapidly," Gatete said.
Yves Iruguha, another impacted business owner, said the government should offer tax relief and financial support to those whose sources of livelihoods set ablaze.
"I had a clothing business valued at Rwf7 million, and now everything is gone," said Iruguha, with visible distress.
Firefighting efforts remain ongoing, with a joint response from the Rwanda National Police Fire and Rescue Brigade, military personnel, and local residents working to fully extinguish the blaze.
The multi-story complex suffered significant structural damage from the upper levels down. Looking at the building from the outside, only the ground floor appears to have escaped major damage.