Tragedy struck on Wednesday, March 8, when a mysterious raging fire gutted Akere Spare Parts Market in Olodi-Apapa, Lagos state. The incident resulted in the loss of several lockup shops, and wares worth millions of naira were destroyed.
The Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, revealed that the cause of the fire is "suspicious" and will require a detailed investigation to ascertain the actual cause. The Ajegunle Fire Station of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was the first to respond to the incident after it was alerted at about 03:28 Wednesday wee hours. Upon arrival, it was discovered that rows of shops that traded in auto spare parts were engulfed in fire, which led to Sari-Iganmu and Ilupeju Fire Crews of the agency joining up to subdue the raging fire and salvage a nearby major market Petroleum Filling Station with a fully loaded 33,000 liters PMS tanker, among other adjoining buildings. The Lagos Neighborhood and Safety Corps and the Red Cross were also in attendance.
However, a male adult was recovered by the Tolu Police Division around the scene and reported dead from a gunshot injury. The victim did not suffer any traces of burns, indicating that he might have died from the gunshot wound before the fire. The corpse has been taken to the mortuary for further investigation.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of lives and property in markets across Lagos state, especially with the recent spate of market fires in the state. Lagos state government officials have promised to investigate the incident and take necessary measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Watch a clip showing the fire below,
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