Bleak Tuesday as fire ravages homes, market
Residents lament losses seek improved
responses to fire outbreaks
IT was a bleak Tuesday for many residents as
fire ravaged parts of Lagos metropolis, leaving
behind lamentation and sorrow. To the victims, it
was an incident they have found no words to
explain as property worth billions of naira were
destroyed.
Among the victims was Prince Ebeano, owner of
Ebeano supermarket Lekki, a one-stop shopping
mall, where a late evening inferno ravaged the
shopping complex to the despair of even his
worst enemy. The destruction was so
monumental, that residents and onlookers were
perturbed with what has become the once
admired complex.
The store in the heart of Admiralty Way, Lekki
Phase 1, Lagos, offers a wide
variety – from shawarma to clothes, foodstuff
and even weavon. An eyewitness said the fire
was noticed around 7 pm, while firefighters
seemed to be overwhelmed with the ferocity of
the inferno.
Also, no fewer than 300 rooms were reduced to
rubble in another inferno at Coast Street, Ebute
Meta, Lagos, when a power generating set
caught fire while it was being refilled with fuel.
An eyewitness said the fire, which started about
5.20pm soon spread to other building from the
burning power generator, leaving residents
scampering to salvage their belongings.
It was also a similar circumstance at the densely
populated Ajegunle area of Lagos, where two
buildings were affected, one of which was the
palace of the Baale (traditional ruler).
Although, no life was lost, scores of families
were rendered homeless. The Guardian learnt
that the fire was caused by petroleum products
stored in one of the buildings by a black market
dealer. Some occupants of the affected buildings
sustained some degrees of injuries during the
ensuing stampede.
Also, the fire outbreak at Idumota started after
an explosion as 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 Orodu
Street. Meanwhile, residents have lamented the
often-late arrival of the firefighters at the scenes
of fire outbreaks.
According to them, despite the late arrival of
firemen to fire scenes, some of their vehicles
were often with insufficient water.
One of the residents, Ojo Michael, called
for preventive measures and an improved
response to fire outbreaks from fire service men,
especially as the Harmattan season sets in.
Another resident, who gave his name simply as
Kunle, said it was pitiable that one hour after the
inferno; no fire fighters were in sight.
When they eventually came, it was just one
firefighter from the Lagos state that arrived and
was just loading water into their tank.
A furious resident, who gave her name simply as
Ada said, “What a country that we live in! No
reliable fire service on the ground for
emergencies such as this. Imagine fire service
loading water at the scene of the incident…
When they should be making prompt moves to
put out the fire. On top of that, no rescue efforts
were made to save the people that were trapped
in there… Nigeria really has a long way to go! It’s
sad to see avoidable tragedies like this unfold.”
Meanwhile, rescue authority on Wednesday said
no life was lost in the Tuesday’s multiple fire
outbreaks across the state.
But the General Manager of the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr.
Michael Akindele, has called on all Lagosians to
be safety conscious by guarding against fire
outbreaks in homes and offices across the state.
While expressing dismay over the frequency of
fire outbreaks in the state, he urged residents
to be passionate about their lives and that of
their loved ones by embracing safety culture in
every aspect of their daily activities.
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