Four buildings collapsed following a fire which engulfed part of Dosunmu Market on Lagos Island yesterday.
Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said 14 other buildings were seriously impacted by the fire.
According to him, the cause of the fire, according to sources, could be attributed to the refueling of a running generator.
Read Also:
Idumota fire: NEMA cautions traders on safety
Emergency responders at the scene of the event included NEMA, Federal and State Fire Services, Police and fire service of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
About 200 shops were yesterday razed in a night fire at the Ikom main market in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Chairman of the Lagos Line of the market, Chika Anya, said the intensity of the fire was such that nothing could be salvaged from the affected shops.
According to him, the fire incident has been a recurring issue almost every year. He alleged that as with previous cases, the state fire service was unable to provide much support.
“All we want now is support from the government to enable us get our lives back. Government should also do the needful by having a functional fire service in Ikom and other council areas,” he said.
One of the victims, Augustine Eze, said it was difficult to ascertain the cause of the fire as there was no electricity ‘and nobody is allowed to pass the night in the market’.
Director of the state Fire Service Peter Okorebi said they would investigate the cause of the fire and take preventive measures.
Okorebi, however, said shop owners are fond of cooking in the shops despite repeated warnings against such.
“Our safety officers have repeatedly advised them against this trend but they simply won’t listen,” he added.
He also debunked claims that the fire service lacked the necessary facilities to contain fire outbreaks in the area.
