- Fire razes market, millions of property lost
By Christopher Oji, Lagos
It was a black Sunday in Lagos as gas exploded, injuring seven family members at 1, Odubanwo Streer, Off Olaniyi Street, Gbinrinmi in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
The same day, a fire outbreak at a multiple purpose sawmill market located at Awori but stop behind GTB Bank, Abule Egba, destroyed property worth several millions.
In the gas explosion, a four years old girl, Faridat Shittu, is presently in a critical condition at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after a cooking gas explosion ravaged the residence of her parents .
It was gathered that three other adults, the grand father, grand mother along with her uncle are also under going burn care with various degrees of burns in the incident that occurred .
It was gathered that the grand mother to the little girl was frying meat and suddenly the oil caught flame and efforts to control it failed and beyond their capacity which led to explosion of the cooking gas.
According to South west coordinator National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the grandmother of the child, who is under severe pains spoke to NEMA team in the hospital, saying that she was frying meat and suddenly the oil caught flame and efforts to control it hot beyond their capacity which led to explosion of the cooking gas.
“The little girl, 4 years, Faridat Shittu, was sleeping in the room when the incident happened yesterday at about 2pm,but was rescued by community members and other injured victims.
“The whole building of 14 rooms including shops completely went down in rubbles due to the intensity of the explosion, thereby rendering 11 families homeless.
“The landlord of the victims, Pa Femi Odubanwo Solomon, disclosed that neighbours saved him from dying in the incident as he was initially trapped and he is presently squatting in a church opposite his destroyed house.
“In another incident yesterday also, about 100 plank & building materials shops, 18 recycling of iron/steel shops, 19 diesel lister generators, 34 different types of motorcycle machines, five 14-seater buses, three cars and two trucks were affected in a massive market fire at a multiple purpose sawmill market.
“The fire which started at about 7:25 pm lasted till hours before it was put out completely.No one sustained injury or casualty recorded.”
As at the time of this report, the Chairman of Ojokoro LCDA and his medical team were at the scenes rendering various assistance to the victims of the two incidences that happened in his area.