A massive fire broke out on Friday night at the Idumota Spare Parts Market in Lagos, causing extensive property damage estimated in the millions of naira. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement issued Saturday, highlighting the quick response of emergency teams.
According to Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, the agency received distress calls through its Toll-Free Emergency Lines at around 10:20 PM. Emergency units from Lekki, Cappa, and Alausa swiftly deployed to the scene, arriving at 10:55 PM to find several buildings already consumed by flames.
Multiple agencies collaborated to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby structures. These included LASEMA’s Shark and Tiger Response Teams, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Federal Fire Service. Law enforcement officers also managed the crowd to ensure safety during the operation.
While the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, preliminary investigations suggest the destruction of shops containing automobile spare parts, with losses amounting to hundreds of millions of naira. Despite the scale of the incident, there were no reported casualties or injuries.
Efforts to extinguish lingering pockets of fire, referred to as “dampening down,” are ongoing. LASEMA has also initiated salvage operations to recover any valuable items from the affected shops.
This fire highlights the need for stringent fire safety measures in high-risk commercial areas like Idumota. Stakeholders are urging authorities to improve infrastructure and enforce safety regulations to minimize the risk of similar incidents in the future.
Lagos residents have commended the swift response of emergency teams while calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire to prevent future occurrences.
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