Fire Guts Six-storey Building In Lagos Market

A six-storey building on 43, Martins street, at the popular Balogun market in Lagos Island went up in flames yesterday, destroying foods for which monetary value could not be estimated.

The fire on the building comprising stores and warehouses for textiles materials was said to have been caused by an electricity upsurge.

The fire started from the fourth floor and spread to the fifth and sixth floors before owners of the goods who rushed from their respective homes could salvage their goods.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire Service who arrived at the scene battled to contain the fire from spreading to other highrise buildings close -by.

At about 6 pm, mop-up exercise was carried out by the fire service officials who were later joined by other emergency responders.

The Director, of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Magret, said no casualty was recorded.

She explained that ” The  Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service in collaboration with other emergency responders are presently dousing the remains of the fire.

“The Fire was reported at about 11.45 am.  On arrival of the Lagos Firefighting Crews, the Fire was met well alight and intense on the fourth floor where it started from while already spreading to the fifth and sixth floors of the six-storey building.

“The intensity of the fire required the deployment of the Aerial Ladder Platform Fire Apparatus to extend the Firefighting prowess to capture the highrise spread and curtail it from adjoining buildings, which aim was achieved as it was confined to house 43.

“The free burning textile materials content stored in defiance to Fire Safety Regulations is responsible for fuelling the intensity which has been curtailed. The preliminary cause of the Fire is as a result of electrical upsurge.

“However, no injury or casualty has been recorded as damping down of echelon of Fire is ongoing and subsequent updates will be made available as situation demands”