Irate youths on Friday evening pelted firefighters with stones and damaged their fire truck at the Second-Hand Market situated behind Jos Central Mosque, for arriving late to extinguish a fire that engulfed the market.
The market deals in second-hand interior materials such as cushions, mattresses and carpets among others.
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According to the chairman of the market, Muhammad Idris, the fire incident was caused by a spark from a transformer close to the area which had subsequently destroyed property worth millions of naira.
The action of the hoodlums according to eyewitnesses could be connected to the late arrival of firefighters who were said to have arrived about 30 minutes after the fire had destroyed the market.
A trader said that men of the fire service were earlier informed but could not arrive early enough due to the lack of diesel in their truck.
Our correspondent observed that while the traders and some youths were busy pouring water to put out the fire, the firefighters arrived but some angry youths frustrated them.
The youths took stones, wood and iron and pelted the truck, smashing its windscreen and also damaging other parts of the vehicle.
When contacted, an official of the fire service said the delay of their arrival was due to the lack of diesel in the truck.
