The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has blamed negligence of some shop owners for a fire incident that razed shops in a section of the popular Alaba International Market on Tuesday.
The service stated this in a Wednesday statement signed by Senior Public Affairs Officer, Maria Fadairo.
According to the statement, the service received a distress call at 7:18 pm of a fire outbreak at 155 Olojo Drive, opposite Tantalizers, Alaba International Market, Ojo.
“Upon receiving the alert, the Ojo and Ijegun-Egba Fire Stations were immediately deployed to the scene.
“The incident involved multiple lock-up shops of varying sizes situated within a two-storey building occupying approximately 648 square meters, within a larger market premises spanning about five hectares.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated from the topmost floor of the building shortly after electricity was restored, due to negligence on the part of some shop owners,” the statement reads in part.
The service said access to the affected areas proved challenging as most shops were closed for the day, necessitating forced entry to gain access and suppress the fire.
It said this delay contributed to the spread of the flames which was however confined to the floor.
“The affected shops were primarily involved in the sale of furniture items and alternative power equipment with a law office.
“Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were recorded,” the statement further reads.
Fadairo said firefighting operations were successfully concluded at 10:10 pm with assistance of personnel from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Ojo Police Division.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, commended the collaborative response of all agencies involved and reiterated the need for the public to strictly adhere to fire safety precautions, particularly in commercial areas, to prevent avoidable fire incidents.
