By Christopher Oji
There was pandemonium, yesterday, at the Dosumu Market, off Idumagbo Avenue, Lagos, when fire gutted over 20 high rise buildings.
One of the buildings had exploded and sparked off fire, causing stampede as everybody, including traders, customers and residents, scampered for safety. The fire soon escalated to other buildings in the area.
As of 1pm, yesterday, the fire had spread to five buildings, four of which collapsed as a result of the intensity of the inferno.
However, about 20 buildings, including 14 high rise buildings, were affected. Property worth billions of naira were destroyed by the fire outbreak.
A trader, Mike Orji, said it would be difficult to quantify the amount of money lost in the inferno.
He said: “It is too early to know how much has been lost. This is an international market. Over 20 buildings have been destroyed.”
Another trader, Nwoke Ezenduka, traced the cause of the fire to alleged carelessness of one Uche, who was trying to refuel his generator while it was running.
“The cause was rumoured to have started from a printing house owner simply called Uche, who was trying to refuel his running generator which went out of petrol, and it caught fire, which spread to other generators on the penthouse.
“From there, explosions caused shrapnel of fire flying across the road to the adjoining and opposite buildings.
“Though the rumour was widely spread, no one could confirm and no other rumour is spreading aside from that. The fire has been totally contained, but remaining are the small fires under the collapsed buildings that are expected to burn out.
“People must learn that there are dire consequences for certain irresponsible behaviours,” Ezenduka said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has ordered the immediate suspension of commercial activities in Dosunmu Street and its immediate environs on Lagos Island.
The announcement of the order is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs, Central Business Districts, Mr. Seyi Akitoye.
Akitoye said the Special Adviser to the Governor on CBD, Mrs. Bola Olumegbon Lawal, who had been monitoring the fire outbreak in Dosunmu said the measure became necessary, in order to prevent loss of lives and to maintain peace and order in the area.
He said Lawal stressed that market women and men in the area should make way for emergency respondents who had timely responded to the incident to effectively perform their duties.
The fire, which started in the early hours of yesterday, has already brought down some buildings, while efforts were ongoing to contain it.
Areas affected, according to Akitoye, included Dosumu, Nnamdi Azikwe, Moshalashi, Woro Pedro and Obanikoro streets. Others are Ago Tawa, Idumagbo Avenue, Idumagbo, Ido – Oluwo and Oju Olobun streets.