Fire Destroys 14 Shops In Obalende

Properties worth thousands of naira were destroyed when fire gutted more than 14 shops and other adjoining makeshift stalls at Ojo Street, off Obalende Road, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

Some of the affected shop owners claimed that the fire started from the shop of a woman who allegedly forgot to put off the candle she lit in her shop.

The candle was said to have burnt the rug which caught fire and spread to a generating set which exploded.

The fire, it was learnt, spread rapidly to other shops on Ojo Street and adjoining buildings.

Efforts by the residents to put it out with water mixed with detergent and sand proved abortive.

Witnesses told P.M.NEWS that the fire worsened when the generating sets used by shop owners started exploding. This prevented owners from removing their wares from the shops.

Arrival of fire fighters from the Federal and state government stations prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings in the area.

When P.M.NEWS arrived the scene, some of the distraught shop owners were seen wailing and lamenting their losses. The burnt shops include barbing salons, tailoring and provision shops.

Some residents of the street appealed to the Community Development Association, CDA, to set standards for the erection of shops in dwelling places to prevent a reoccurence.