A five-storey building on Gbajumo Street in Balogun Market, located in the Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State, was engulfed in flames, resulting in the destruction of goods valued at millions of naira. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire broke out around 11 PM on Wednesday, after traders had closed for the day. Firefighters from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene and fought the blaze until 4 PM on Thursday. Other agencies present included the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Emergency Response Unit of the Lagos Island Central Business District, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, and officials from the sanitation corps of the Lagos Island Local Government Area.
Resident Mojeed Adetutu recounted that the fire originated on the first floor before spreading throughout the entire building. He stated, “When we heard about the fire last night, we rushed to the scene and saw that there was electricity in the building while it was burning. We assisted the firefighters in extinguishing the flames, but by the middle of the night, we realized that the fire had reached the second floor. At that point, we concluded that the situation was beyond control.” Adetutu also noted that some of the fire trucks that arrived lacked water and had to borrow a fire truck from the United Bank of Africa. By 6 AM on Thursday, the fire had spread to the third and fourth floors.
Another resident, Ekundayo Ahmed, criticized the firefighters for their lack of water in the trucks. “About five trucks came, but all we could hear was that there was no water. Some people were rushed to a hospital after getting injured during the rescue operation,” he added. Trader Iya Bimpe reported significant losses, stating, “Some traders lost goods worth N10 million, while others lost goods worth N40 million. The least loss recorded is N3 million. Items sold in the market included Italian shoes, bags, suits, and children’s shoes. Some traders had just purchased goods for the New Year.”
Tunji Adegoke, a resident who participated in the rescue effort, mentioned that while some goods were salvaged, they were not enough to offset the losses. “Unfortunately, the goods recovered were not up to what the fire consumed. We couldn’t even recover a quarter of what the building housed,” he said. The Assistant Corps Marshal for Environmental issues in Lagos Island, Mr. Yekini Awere, indicated that foreign shoes, bags, and ladies’ wear were among the items lost in the fire. He explained, “I heard that the fire was caused by a high voltage of electricity supplied to the market around 11 PM on Wednesday. Additionally, the occupants of the building had gone home at the time the fire started.”
Our correspondent observed rescuers offloading sacks of goods from the burning building, which was drenched with water from firefighting efforts. Among those involved in the rescue was a Nigerien suspected of attempting to divert goods, who was subsequently beaten by residents and
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