For the second time in three months, traders in Balogun Market again had their shops razed in an early fire outbreak on Wednesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the inferno destroyed goods valued at several millions of naira. A correspondent of NAN, who visited the market, reports that the fire, which affected lock-up shops, was first noticed at the back of a building housing a commercial bank. Quick response from the Lagos State Fire Service prevented further spread of the inferno.
NAN reports that a fire truck and a tanker were on ground at the time of the visit. Goods destroyed in the fire include lace materials, cosmetics, ladies wears, body cream, hair attachments, underwear accessories and refridgerators. Some of the traders, who spoke to NAN, commended the firemen for their timely response, which prevented the fire from spreading.
Cletus Onyema, a trader in the market, said he lost a huge amount of money as well as goods. Onyema, however, thanked God for curtailing the losses. He said: When I got a call that there was fire in the shops around this area, I did not know what to expect. “I thank God that the situation was not that bad. “I lost some goods but I praise the fire service for work well done.”
Another trader, Ronke Adebayo, told NAN that she had just stocked her shop for the Easter sales. Adebayo said: “I thank God that I was able to save some of my goods. “I have a truck load of lace materials parked out there but I was able to save the goods. “I lost some goods but it would have been painful if all of them were consumed by the fire.” Adebayo said the cause of the fire was still unknown but said that the fire service came on time and put out the fire.
Confirming the incident, the Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Fadipe Rasaq, said firemen from Onikan Fire Station responded to the fire call within four minutes. Rasaq said the fire razed a storey building, which caused the top floor to collapse, while eight lock up shops were also destroyed. He said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.
Fadipe advised traders to organise themselves to buy centralised generators that would be stationed outside the shops instead of using many small generators.
