Fire Guts GOICO Plaza, Musanze's Main Market; No Deaths Reported
A major fire broke out on the afternoon of 10 October 2026 at GOICO Plaza, the main market of Musanze city in Rwanda's Northern Province. The New Times and Taarifa reported that the fire started at about 4pm on the roof of the five-storey commercial building and spread rapidly down to the second floor, destroying large quantities of goods; firefighting efforts continued for hours. Musanze District authorities said no fatalities were recorded.
GOICO Plaza is Musanze's principal trading centre, home to more than 2,000 traders and about 12,000 visitors a day, selling clothing, shoes, electronics and household goods. One shoe trader's family told reporters that stock worth Rwf18 million had been lost in a single shop. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed; witnesses mentioned roofing repair work under way in the building, but authorities have not linked the work to the blaze.
The Ministry of Local Government said the following day that two people sustained minor injuries and 15 others required medical attention for psychological shock, two of whom remained in hospital. The Northern Province Private Sector Federation said the market supports thousands of families and that damage assessment was under way.
Musanze District Mayor Claudien Nsengimana visited the market the next morning to console traders and urged them to gradually resume their activities while authorities complete assessments. The government condoled with affected traders and pledged support for repairing the market.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：穆桑泽妇女头顶农产品前往市场（资料图）。摄影：Joseph Lionceau，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
