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By Christopher Oji
Forty-two people died, while I77 were rescued in six months in 1,642 emergency incidents recorded in Lagos in the last six months.
The statistics under review was between January and June 2023. Also, N14. 62 billion properties were destroyed by fire.
This disclosure was made yesterday by the Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, in her mid-year activity report made available to journalists. A breakdown of the report showed that out of the 1,462 emergencies attended to, fire disasters ranked highest with 924 incidents in different parts of the state.
Ninety-two emergencies on rescue were recorded, 41 on salvage, three on explosion, two on building collapse, while 400 false calls were received.
Furthermore, Adeseye disclosed in the mid-year activity report that “the estimated properties saved is about N87.72 billion, leaving the properties lost to N14.62 billion”.
Adeseye, in a statement signed by the agency’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Agboola Ololade, revealed that, “fire incidents increased indiscriminately from same period compared to previous year.
“Investigations revealed that carelessness and negligence were the major causes of the disaster. There was increase in unfavourable calls that keep occurring due to the change of strategy in the attendance to distress calls without double-checking for false calls.
Other factors include climate change and proliferation of domestic gas usage due to spread in use as alternative fuel, which also contributed to the increase of fire outbreaks”.
She, therefore, urged Lagosians to be safety conscious, “especially with the advent of the gas as the alternative source of fuel, which has come to stay.
“They should also desist from habits that may put unnecessary pressure on the agency’s operations in the state,” she stated, assuring that the agency has what it takes to ensure mitigation of fire.
