Fire injures seven, guts 109 shops in Lagos

About seven persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in a Sunday-night inferno that affected more than 109 shops and residential buildings in the Ijora area of Lagos state.

The fire was said to have started from one of the shops where black oil was stored around 7up company in the area.

Ibrahim Farinloye, south-west zonal spokesman of the national emergency management agency (NEMA), confirmed the incident, saying the affected buildings belong to the Bayelsa state government.

“About 109 shops and residential buildings were consumed in the fire outbreak at the scene, located in open space belonging to the Bayelsa state government besides the 7up Bottling Company in Ijora,” he said.

“One person who sustained serious burns was rescued and taken to the hospital.

“The fire started from a shop filled with drums of black oil. People are also using the space as residence.”

Early in the year, two people were burnt to death in an early morning fire that ravaged about 10 buildings, including a brothel in Ijora.

The inferno, which occurred on January 15, also destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

Several people, mostly sex workers and their customers were also injured during the attempts by occupants to escape from the fierce fire in the brothel.

The deceased persons were identified simply as John and Yaro and they were reportedly sleeping in one of the burnt buildings, when the fire started.

Attempts by fire fighters from Iganmu Fire Service Station to put out the fire were blocked by irate hoodlums, who were reportedly seizing the opportunity to loot.