One Dead, 8 Injured in Dosunmu Market Fire as Inferno Continues

•Lagos government to convene stakeholders’ meeting today

Esther Oluku

One person has died and eight others have sustained injuries while fleeing from the inferno which razed 14 buildings in the Dosunmu market area of Lagos Island, Tuesday, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

But despite efforts by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), Lagos State Emergency and Management Agency (LASEMA), National Emergency and Management Agency (NEMA) and other agencies at the accident scene, the fire was yet to be completely doused as of yesterday.

At about 2pm, dark clouds still filled the air of the accident scene and pockets of fire still burned in sections of the affected buildings.

It was observed that officials of the Lagos State Fire Service who were present on site could not penetrate the collection of buildings as the integrity of the affected buildings had been considerably weakened from the heat which at the time of the report, had pulled down four buildings in the course of the accident.

Intimating journalists on developments at the accident scene, the Controller General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Ms. Margaret Adeseye said that the only life lost was the direct victim of the explosion, while medical care had been administered to injured victims.

Adeseye added that as part of response mechanisms, the service will set up fire marshals across buildings in Lagos Island to serve as preventive measures against subsequent reoccurrence.

“Right now, we have recorded eight casualties and one life lost. We want to put a fire marshal in all buildings in Lagos Island. The fire marshal is to represent Fire service there to ensure prevention of fire accidents.

“We are going to train the fire marshals on fire prevention and also put in place a whistle-blower that can easily inform the fire service of anything that can result in a fire outbreak,” she said.

On his part, Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Urban Development, Mr. Olajide Babatunde, while fielding questions from journalists said that as part of measures to respond to public concern on the accident and create awareness on safe practices, it would convene a stakeholders meeting today.

Babatunde said: “We had a discussion on site and we have reached a decision that there is going to be a stakeholders meeting on Thursday for which we are inviting everyone who is a stakeholder in this area and every stakeholder around Lagos.

“The stakeholder meeting is one of the ways that we want to use in sensitising people and would take place here(just in front of the accident scene). The meeting is scheduled for 10am, Thursday, April 11, 2014.”