Fire Destroys Ladipo Market

Two people were killed in Okaka, Itesiwaju local government in Oyo State by a fire caused after a tanker carrying petrol fell and spilled its content on the road on Wednesday.

Witnesses told the Punch that the truck fell into a drainage channel causing inhabitants of surrounding communities to flee for their lives.

Men of the state fire service could also not put out the fire that destroyed cars and other properties on time.

Many people, who were injured by the fire, were taken to a hospital.

One of the deceased, Idowu Ganiyu, a cyclist was trapped by the fire and sustained severe burn injuries. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead moments later.

Meanwhile in Lagos, an early morning fire destroyed about 50 shops at the Ladipo spare parts market in the Mushin area of the state. Goods estimated at over a billion were lost in the fire.

Residents were not sure what caused the fire; while some blamed it on an electrical spark from a high-tension wire, others said it began from a food seller’s shop who was preparing food at the time.

The Chairman of the Ladipo-Osoro Traders Union, Felix Okoro, commended the Lagos State Fire Service for curtailing the fire.

Okoro puts the estimated cost of some of the destroyed goods at over a billion naira.

“More than 50 shops were affected. And in these shops, we deal in brand new spare parts, many of which come in cartons. We lost goods valued at over a billion naira. We are devastated by this. If not for the fire service, who responded promptly, the damage could have been more.”

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