Huge fire damages main Somalia market: eight dead

At least eight people were killed after a huge fire swept through Somalia's main market on Saturday night, witnesses said on Sunday.
The victims were either burned to death as they tried to salvage their property at the Bakara Market or shot dead by armed guards trying to stop crowds from looting.
The blaze began in the middle of the night and spread rapidly to shops selling clothes, household goods and jewellery, witnesses said. A lack of fire-fighting equipment hampered rescue efforts.
Abdi Moallim, a Somali businessman, said he suspected the fire had been started by arsonists.
"Some politicians are taking advantage of the political crisis in the country to hit at their competitors," he said. Many businessmen said they had not insured precious stones, gold, electronic goods or cash destroyed in the blaze.
The market also specialises in selling guns. Two US army helicopters were shot down over it in the deadly 1993 clash between US troops and Somali militiamen which became the basis for the Hollywood film "Black Hawk Down".
Somalia, divided into fiefdoms run by rival militias, has lacked central authority since military ruler Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Conflict and famine have killed hundreds of thousands of Somalis in the past decade.