Fire wipes out six shops in Lagos market

A fire destroyed six shops on Sunday afternoon at the Aswani Mechanic Village in Isolo, Lagos State.

Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said the fire started around 12:26 pm.

He explained that the emergency response team rushed to the scene and found a fire that had already damaged several shops in the mechanic village.

Oke-Osanyintolu said, "Preliminary investigations show that the fire was caused by a power surge. The fire affected six shops. Thankfully, no vehicles were damaged and no lives were lost."

He confirmed that while six shops were destroyed, no one was hurt in the incident.

"There was no loss of life and no injuries reported. All traders and artisans in the area were safely evacuated," he added.

Oke-Osanyintolu continued, "Although six shops were lost, quick action helped stop the fire from spreading to nearby workshops and saved other properties in the village."

The fire was controlled thanks to the efforts of Lagos firefighters and the LASEMA team. They carried out dampening operations to ensure the fire did not reignite.

"The situation is now under control. Recovery and clean-up operations are ongoing in the affected section of Aswani Mechanic Village. The area has been secured for traders and relevant agencies to start assessing the damage," he noted.

The Lagos State Government praised the quick response and teamwork shown by all those involved in handling the fire.

The government urged all market and workshop operators to follow electrical safety rules, avoid overloading circuits, and make sure fire extinguishers are installed and regularly serviced in their facilities."