No Life Lost as LASEMA Puts Out Lagos Estate Market Fire

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has revealed that no life was lost, as it successfully put out the fire that occurred at the popular Abule Market in Ajao Estate area of the state. According to an eyewitness account, the fire, which destroyed not less than four shops and goods worth billions of naira, started in one of the lock-up shops in a small shopping mall located just before the main market, before extending to the main market at about 1 a.m. yesterday. The fire was further attributed to an electrical power surge suspected to have sparked off the fire that eventually razed some parts of the market before it was brought under control through combined efforts of the LASEMA fire unit, state and Federal Fire Services, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings. In a statement issued by the spokesperson to the agency, Nosa Okunbor, he said: "In the battle to salvage the situation and quickly curtail the fire outbreak at the Ajao Estate market, the Federal Fire Service deployed one fire truck; the Lagos State Fire Service also deployed one fire truck, while LASEMA fire unit deployed two fire trucks, all in efforts to curtail and check the fire to ensure it does not spread and cause further damage." Commenting on the incident, the Director-General of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said: "The agency received a distress call at 1:59 a.m. via emergency helpline 767/112 regarding a fire outbreak at the aforementioned location and immediately deployed its team to the incident scene. "Upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the aforementioned market located inward Oshodi, was completely engulfed in flames. "LASEMA fire team and the federal fire service worked to battle the inferno and prevented it from spreading to nearby residential buildings. "No life was however lost and no injuries sustained, but a total of four shops were completely destroyed and properties and goods worth several billions of naira were razed by the inferno. "The fire was finally put under control, but the area has been cordoned off for safety reasons."