Fire razes shops at Lagos spare parts market

Fire razes Karu market in Abuja
A fire outbreak at a spare parts market in the Idumota area of Lagos State has caused the destruction of property worth millions of naira.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed that the fire occurred on Friday night.

Oke-Osanyintolu reported that a preliminary investigation revealed that several buildings used as shops for selling car spare parts were completely razed by the blaze.

The statement reads, “At approximately 10:20 PM, distress calls were received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency Lines, prompting the activation of emergency response teams from Lekki, Cappa, and the Command and Control Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.”

“Upon arrival at the scene by 10:55 PM, it was found that multiple buildings housing car spare parts shops were engulfed in flames. The exact cause of the fire, whether immediate or remote, remains undetermined at this time. However, the destruction of goods and property worth hundreds of millions of naira was confirmed.”

LASEMA’s response teams, including the Shark Response Team, Fire Unit, and Tiger Response Team, alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Federal Fire Service, worked together to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.

Law enforcement agencies were also on-site, implementing crowd control measures to ensure the safety of all involved.

Oke-Osanyintolu assured the public that no casualties or injuries were reported. “Dampening down” operations have begun to eliminate the remaining pockets of fire, while efforts to salvage valuable property from the affected shops are ongoing.

He added that recovery operations are continuing, with efforts focused on completely extinguishing the fire.