Lagos fire updates: NEMA confirms 2 houses collapse, 14 buildings razed

Lagos fire updates: NEMA confirms 2 houses collapse, 14 buildings razed

A market fire that started around 10am on Tuesday in the Dosumu Market of the Lagos Island, Lagos State, initially consuming four houses later spread to 14 buildings, two of which collapsed.

Newstrends had earlier reported that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ordered suspension of commercial activities in several markets in the state after the fire broke out.

The Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed Tuesday’s incident, according a new report by The PUNCH.

Farinloye said the fire was caused by a careless refuelling of a generator in the penthouse of one of the buildings.

He said, “As of now, four buildings have collapsed while 14 buildings were affected by the fire. We had challenges with water, but we were able to sort that out by contacting the Nigerian Ports Authority.

“The fire started from the penthouse of one of the buildings where a man was carelessly refuelling a generator before it ignited the fire and escalated to other buildings.

“There were many generators in the building that further compounded the escalation.”

The fire was said to have started in a three-story building on Jankara Street and later spread to other adjoining buildings in the market.

Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, also said, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has successfully contained a major fire incident affecting 14 buildings, with two structures fully collapsed and two partially collapsed.

“The cause was traced to refuelling a generator among others, with fuel storage in kegs at the penthouse of a three-building complex housing a printing shop with chemical contents.”

“All the state’s emergency responders, including that of the national and private partners, are collaborating at the scene. The public is urged to handle combustible materials with caution to prevent future incidents,” Adeseye stated.