Fire guts mart, hotel, police station in Lagos

A devastating fire outbreak occurred on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, in Lagos State, resulting in significant damage to multiple structures. The first incident took place at Number 2, Ido Oluwo, Lagos Island, within the bustling Docemo Market area. The topmost floor of a three-storey building was completely gutted by the fire.

In a separate incident, a 33,000-litre diesel tanker caught fire while discharging its content at an adjoining hotel near the Okokomaiko Police Station on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Ojo area of the state. The fire resulted in significant damage to the hotel and surrounding areas.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, along with other emergency responders, quickly contained the fires at Docemo Market and the Okokomaiko hotel, preventing further damage. Thankfully, no lives were lost in either incident.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Docemo Market fire started around 8:45 am, causing substantial damage to affected properties. This incident is a repeat of an earlier fire at the same market, which resulted in millions of naira in damages and led to the market’s temporary closure for safety inspections.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu provided financial assistance to victims of a previous fire incident. Meanwhile, a diesel tanker caught fire around 12:25 pm while discharging fuel, prompting a swift response from firefighters at the Ojo and Ijegun-Egba Fire Stations. They managed to rescue occupants of a nearby hotel and police station.

According to Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, “Negligence was the common factor behind both fires. The Docemo market fire was caused by an electrical surge, while the tanker fire resulted from the operator’s failure to follow safety protocols. Thankfully, no injuries or casualties were reported, and both fires have been extinguished”.

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