Victims of the fire that destroyed parts of the popular Dosunmu market on Lagos Island are still counting their losses.
On Tuesday, a fire destroyed at least fourteen buildings and caused six structures to collapse.
According to sources, the fire was triggered by refueling a running generator within the market.
Emergency responders (LASEMA, Fire Service) had a hard time putting out the fire which which had spread to other parts of the market causing the collapse of about six buildings.
Goods worth millions of naira were also destroyed in the fire that started around 10am on Tuesday.
The fire was said to have started in a three-story building on Jankara Street before spreading to other adjoining buildings in the market.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority, confirmed the occurrence.
Emergency responders were having a hard time getting to some of the affected locations, Farinloye said, blaming the fire on the irresponsible refueling of a generator in the penthouse of one of the buildings.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed NEMA on the affected buildings.
She said the storage of fuel products in the penthouse of the building where the fire started, coupled with chemical materials stored in the building, escalated the fire.
Adeseye 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 refueling a generator among others, with fuel storage in kegs at the penthouse of a three-building complex housing a printing shop with chemical contents.”
Adeseye also warned members of the public to be careful while handling combustible materials to prevent future fire occurrences.
