Tragedy struck on Sunday at the Trinity Spare Parts
Market in the Olodi Apapa area of Ajegunle, Lagos, as no fewer than 150 shops,
including their materials, were consumed by an inferno. It was believed
that the fire was caused by an electrical power surge in one of the shops
at a section of the plaza some minutes after 3pm.
The Speed Well Plaza is estimated to accommodate no fewer
than 200 shops, mostly spare parts traders. A resident
of the area said, “This whole incident started when PHCN restored power
here around 1.00p.m. “Not long after that, I saw a thick smoke coming from one
of the shops on B line, though I didn’t know the fire was going to be this big
and spread to other parts of the plaza.”
They lamented the extent of the destruction, adding that
for them to get back to business, the government would need to assist them. According
to Punch correspondent a distressed trader, Mr. Izuchukwu
Agwu, said, “I am finished. As you are seeing me here, I have lost
everything I have to this fire incident.“Unless something is done, I am heading
back to the village and you know what it means – suicide. I sleep in my shop
and I have no other business here.”
He added, “I was lucky not to have been in there when the
fire started. Who knows, I might have been burnt. Now, what else do I have? I
am heading back to the village tonight.”
Policemen from Trinity Police Station with other security
personnel provided security at the plaza as fire fighters from the Lagos State
Fire Service and those believed to be from Julius Berger Plc battled to put out
the ragging inforeno. The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak
Fadipe, explained that the fire was aggravated by the inflammable materials
stored in most of the shops in the spare parts market.
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