POPULAR Balogun market in the business district of Lagos state has been gutted by fire, leaving one person feared dead.
The fire reportedly started at the early hour of Tuesday morning, and the social media have been awash with videos and photos of the incident.
Speaking to The ICIR, a trader who identified herself as Chidinnma Favour Benson said the fire had started in a building, known as former Radio Nigeria complex.
She said the building is behind her business place, and one of the Good Samaritans helping to douse the fire got cut up in the inferno and died.
“The burning building is at the back of my building opposite the Great Nigeria House. It is about 20 kilometres before my own place.
“One of the people that went to off the fire died and all of the goods in that building got burnt.
“The fire service showed up and they were the ones that quenched the fire,” Benson said.
Benson who is a trader at the Balogun market said the operatives of the Fire Service had arrived same time she also arrived at her business place which was at 10 am on Tuesday morning. However, she said the fire had started even before her arrival.
She said tension has been doused as at 12: 31 pm, but another fire outbreak started a few minutes later, but the cause of the Fire had not been established.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okubor and that of the fire service, Adeleke Ashimi, had confirmed the incident to The Punch stating they were not aware of the extent of the fire.
“Our men are on their way there as well. We don’t know the extent of the fire yet,” Ashimi said.
She also confirmed that another complex on Dosumu Street, about 500 meters from Martin Street, was on fire.
ANOTHER FIRE IN LAGOS ISLAND!
BAD DAY TODAY 😩😩😩😩 #Lagos pic.twitter.com/aZUMIXBFHf
— Taofeek T. Gawat 🇳🇬 (@tfk_gawat) November 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/adeFAYE_/status/1191661368333807617