Property Worth Millions Lost As Fire Razes 300 Shops, Houses At Lagos Plank Market

Properties worth millions of naira were lost in a fire incident that engulfed a plank and building materials market in Ejigbo, Lagos.

The incident, which happened on Friday night, left over 300 shops totally razed while two residential bungalows were also burnt.

The incident happened around 9:30 pm at the popular Oke-Afa Market.

Also razed were the market’s mosque, a fence of an event centre and three overhead storage tanks.

Emergency officials comprising the state fire service and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were notified of the incident on Friday night but the fire raged until the early hours of Saturday.

The director-general of the LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in an update on the incident, however, said no life was lost, adding that the agency deployed its resources immediately it was notified of the fire.

As at the time of filing this report, he said the immediate cause of the inferno could not be ascertained.

He appealed to all the traders to ensure that their properties are well insured, while calling on residents of the state to be safety-conscious and vigilant, especially at this harmattan season, which is prone to fire incidents.

Some of the shop owners who spoke with our correspondent said it happened when they were closing from work on Friday, adding that their machines and other equipment were razed.

DAILYTRUST