Fire destroys 350 make-shift buildings in Lagos

AT least350 make-shift buildings were, Wednesday night, engulfed by fire in Ajah area of Lagos, barely 16 hours after the Ijeh Police barracks in Lagos went up in flames, rendering 24 families of policemen homeless.

The fire was said to have been caused by an explosion from a power generating set at about 10.45p.m.

Chat212 gathered that one of the occupants of the buildings located in an area known as Kuramo Jakande, was pouring petrol into his generating set that was on, when the explosion occurred.

The occupant, with an undisclosed identity, was said to have raised an alarm that attracted his neighbours who tried to contain the fire.

But their efforts failed as the fire was said to have spread to other plank buildings. Eye witnesses said a bed-ridden occupant would have been burnt to death but for the prompt action by the residents.

Two fire trucks from Eti-Osa and Onikan stations, according to the Lagos State Director, Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe were initially drafted to the scene to contain the inferno.

But the occupants were said to have snatched the water hoses from the fire men in a bid to direct the water to their respective sections. Their action also resulted in attack on the fire servicemen who resisted them.

According to Fadipe, “when our men arrived the scene with two trucks of 10,000 litres each, the occupants were struggling to take the hoses from them, wanting to direct it to their respective sides. Each of them wanted our officials to start work from their end, thereby rough handling our men. We later brought a third truck from Sari Iganmu.

“No casualty was recorded in the incident. However, the fire spread rapidly because the makeshift buildings were constructed with planks.

“This is not the first time an incident of such will occur there. It has happened several times. But we were able to put out the fire at about 3.30am, thereby preventing it from spreading much.”

A mild drama, however, played out at the scene, after the fire had been put out, as the affected occupants reportedly started taking ownership of the portion they would rebuild. In the process, those who occupied the burnt portion engaged others laying claims to them in verbal confrontation.