25 families homeless as fire razes buildings, supermarket in Lagos

NO fewer than 25 families were rendered homeless yesterday, following a fire outbreak that engulfed three buildings in Lagos.The popular Ebano Supermarket in the highbrow Lekki metropolis, some shops and the popular Idumota Market, are among the affected structures.

Two of the affected buildings were located in the densely-populated Ajegunle area of Lagos, one of which was the palace of the Baale (traditional ruler).
However, no life was reportedly lost in any of the incidents. But properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

The Ajegunle inferno was said to have been caused by petroleum products stored in one of the buildings by a black market dealer. Some occupants of the affected buildings sustained varying degrees of injuries during the ensuing stampede.
Reports said an explosion occurred at 1, Freedom Street, at about 10.30a.m., while a welder, simply identified as Israel, was constructing an iron cage for the storage of petroleum products.
Efforts to contain the fire failed as it reportedly engulfed the entire building and spread to 171, Orodu Street.

Fuel dealer escapes
The black market dealer, whose identity could not be ascertained, escaped on noticing the wreckage.
When Vanguard arrived the scene, the fire was still raging, with occupants in mourning.
One of them, a pregnant woman, was said to have collapsed.
An eyewitness, who simply gave his name as Saidi, blamed the tragedy on the welder, pointing out that if the jerry cans filled with petroleum products had been moved away from the spot, the spark of light from the welding machine would not have ignited.Residents told Vanguard that fire service officials who arrived the scene to contain the situation, left for more water.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Had the owner of house on 171, Orodu Street been alive, this incident would not have happened because he would have kicked against the sale of petroleum products.
“The woman, who caused all this, has been warned several times to change business, but she did not heed the advice.
“Only last week, a prophet who came to warn that danger was looming and that everyone should beware of fire outbreak. This woman was cautioned again. But she got more products because of the rumoured fuel scarcity.”

We received 4 different
distress calls— Fadipe
Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, said when they received the distress calls, fire trucks from Illupeju and Isolo were drafted to the scene.
Also at the scene were policemen from Ajeromi Ifelodun Division.
Fadipe said that distress calls were also received at “Oko-Baba in Ebute Meta area of the state and Ebano Supermarket at Lekki at about 6.05p.m.
“Two fire trucks were deplored to each of the locations. At about 6.20p.m., another call about fire outbreak was received at Oju-Olobun, Idumota, where some shops were affected.”

Building collapses
Meanwhile, two unidentified construction workers narrowly escaped death yesterday, when an uncompleted building, where they were working, close to St. Triumph Primary School at Olagunju Street, Magbon, Badagry, suddenly collapsed.
The incident, as gathered, occurred at about 12.45p.m.
The building was said to have been marked by officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, which ordered that work should stop. But the developer allegedly ignored the directive.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Michael Akindele, said: “LASBCA had marked the building for ongoing construction to stop.
“Two construction workers were injured and treated by LASAMBUS officials at the spot. The primary school beside it was not affected. Investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the cause of the collapse.”
Rasaq Fadipe told Vanguard that the Fire Station from Badagry responded to the incident.

Source: VanguardNGR

3 injured, N50m goods destroyed as fire guts Electronics Int’l Market, Onitsha

Goods worth over N50 million were yesterday gutted by mid night fire while three people sustained various degrees of injury at the popular Electronics International Market Onitsha, the commercial nerve center of Anambra State.
The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report but the inferno was said to have started at about  3.am  from one of the  shops inside the market.
According to an eye witness, “immediately we discovered that there was an outbreak of  fire in one of the shops, I alerted the vigilante commander, Mr. Jideofor Okacha and we started making contacts  for help but all efforts were in vain as none of the fire service stations contacted responded  except  Okpoko Fire Service Station”.

Speaking with newsmen, the vigilante commander stressed the need for a control switch to be installed in the market, adding that on rushing to the shop with other security operatives,  thick smoke was seen bellowing from the said shop.
“We tried to break the shop to stop the fire with our fire extinguisher, but to no avail and the security men from one of the new generation banks located inside the market brought their extinguisher but to no avail. Instead, the fire escalated, touching the double shop apartment and other near-by shops in the market.
“As it went out of control, we called the Okpoko Fire Service men at about 4.am and they responded promptly with their vehicle and put out the fire.”

He said that initially, the effort of the Okpoko fire service men was resisted by the ravaging inferno. The water in their tank soon finished and they rushed back to their office and came back almost immediately and emptied their tank on the inferno.
“Nobody died because it was in the  midnight and people were still sleeping but some of  the  security  men with me from a new generation bank sustained various degrees of  injury  as we tried  to stop the fire”.

Family of 5 consumed by fire in Lagos

Tragedy struck in Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos early today as a huge fire consumed a family of five persons in the area. The victims included the father, mother, grandmother and two children, a baby and a girl.

The incident took place at 23 Michael Ogun Street, Obele, Lawanson and threw the entire area into confusion and deep mourning. A boy was, however, rescued alive.

The incident happened around 12.10 this morning. “It is an unfortunate incident, it is a very sad day in this area, a whole family roasted in overnight fire, this is sad”, one eyewitness said.

Besides the family of five roasted in the fire, an unidentified man that was sleeping under a mobile truck was also crushed to death while he was fast asleep at Sari Iganmu, Lagos.

Confirming the incidents, Director Fire Service, Lagos state, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, said both incidents happened.

“Tragedy, a family of 5 persons, father, mother, grandmother, a baby and a girl consumed by fire at No. 21 Michael Ogun Street, Obele, Lawanson.

“A man that slept under a truck was also unknowingly crushed at Sari Iganmu in the midnight,” he said via text messages.