ITEMS worth millions of naira have been destroyed by fire as a result of a gas explosion in one of the shops at Council Bus Stop, Idimu-Ikotun Road in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Media reports stated that the explosion was a result of leakage of gas from a gas cylinder being used in one of the shops, which led to the fire spreading to several other shops and traders and shoppers scampering to safety.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, and the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Magaret Adeseye, confirmed that there was no casualty in the unfortunate incident.
According to an eyewitness and a trader in the market, Ms Shadia Kareem, the incident happened at about 2.15 pm when a raging fire gutted some shops.
“The market was full of shoppers when suddenly we heard a loud blast, and within a twinkle of a ball of fire and thick black smoke took over the cloud.
“Initially, we didn’t know what happened; we thought it was a bomb that detonated but later realised it was a gas explosion.
“The first responders to the emergency were able to rescue people around and prevent the fire from spreading before the firefighters later arrived.
“As of 3.30 pm, the fire was put under control and completely out by the Ejigbo and Isolo Fire Stations of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service alongside LASEMA and the Nigerian Police Force from Ikotun Division,” she noted.
Adeseye, however, attributed the cause of the inferno to negligence in the refilling of a gas cylinder by the dealer.
