Govt urges safety precautions after Alaba market fire

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has advised residents to be safety conscious following the fire incident that took place at the Alaba International Market.

A section of the popular market in Lagos was on Tuesday evening engulfed by fire that destroyed several shops and properties worth millions of naira.

The reports that the Alaba International Market, situated along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, is regarded as one of the largest commercial hubs in West Africa, bustling with traders dealing in electronics, furniture, and building materials.

The market attracts several shoppers daily and serves as a major economic lifeline for many residents and importers across the region.

The director of the state fire service, Margaret Adeyeye, gave an update on the incident in a Wednesday statement signed by the Senior Public Affairs Officer, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Maria Fadairo.

Fadairo said the service received a distress call at 7:18pm reporting the fire outbreak at 155 Olojo Drive, opposite Tantalizers, Alaba International Market, Ojo Local Government Area, Lagos State.

“Upon receiving the alert, the Ojo and Ijegun-Egba fire stations were immediately deployed to the scene. The incident involved multiple lock-up shops of varying sizes situated within a two-storey building, occupying approximately 648 square metres, within a larger market premises spanning about five hectares.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated from the topmost floor of the building shortly after electricity was restored, due to negligence on the part of some shop owners.

“Access to the affected areas proved challenging as most shops were closed for the day, necessitating forced entry to gain access and suppress the fire, a delay that contributed to the spread of the flames which was however confined to the floor,” the statement said.

The statement added that the affected shops were primarily involved in the sale of furniture items and alternative power equipment.

“Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were recorded.”

“Firefighting operations were successfully concluded at 10:10pm with the complement efforts of personnel from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the Ojo Police Division.”

Adeseye commended the collaborative response of all agencies involved and reiterated the need for the public to strictly adhere to fire safety precautions, particularly in commercial areas, to prevent avoidable fire incidents,” the statement added.