7 injured as fire guts 3-storey building in Lagos

Kazeem Ugbodaga

No fewer than seven persons ustained serious injuries today when fire razed a three-storey residential building on Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The last floor of the affected building, situated at 7A Obadina Street went up in flames around 3.00pm when most of the residents were away for their businesses.

Though the cause was not ascertained as at the time of filing this report, unconfirmed reports had it that the fire was caused by a girl who was trying to cook.

A source, who craved anonymity, told our reporter that, “we were watching football match in front of the building when someone perceived smoke and we immediately went upstairs to check, only to find a room in flame and the children from that room running away. So I cannot specifically say it was the stove that caused the fire.”

It was also gathered that some of the residents who were in their rooms were affected by the smoke, while some of the youths who tried to assist in putting out the fire before the arrival of Fire Service men and an Igbo trader were badly injured when some blocks caved in during rescue operation.

The timely arrival of firemen from Orile, Onikan and Ajah areas of the state saved the situation as the flame which had spread to adjacent buildings at Obadina and Obey streets respectively was eventually put out around 4.45pm, with the support of neighbourhood watch officials, Community Development Association, CDA members in the area and the Police.

Officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS who arrived the scene gave first aid treatment to the injured people and later took them to the Lagos General Hospital for proper medical treatment.

This week, fire gutted the warehouse of Rank Xerox in the Matori industrial area of Lagos. Last week, fire also razed the third floor of the office complex of TheNEWs/P.M.NEWS in Ogba, Ikeja.