Balogun market fire: Lagos orders developer to demolish affected floors

The Lagos State Government has ordered that two floors marked from a building razed by fire at 39/45 Martins Street Balogun over the weekend, should be removed immediately by the developer.

The government also said an integrity test would be carried out on the entire structure so as to ascertain safety of occupants after the incident.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, gave the directive on Friday during a meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Ikeja with developer of the affected building, Brasas Plaza, and other stakeholders on Friday.

Oki said the results of the test would determine if the entire building would be pulled down in order to safeguard lives and properties in the area.

The General Manager added that the government has mandated owners of buildings above two floors within the market and others on the adjourning streets to install all safety gadgets in their structures.

Some of the safety gadgets expected to be install by building owners within the market include provision of fire extinguisher, smoke detectors and others, in order prevent fire disasters.

Oki added that any building above two floors found without the installation of these safety measures would be sanctioned immediately.

The LASBCA boss maintained that all measures taken by the government were basically to protect lives as well as properties of individuals are not to witchhunt anyone as maybe speculated in some quarters.

He stressed that the Agency will continue to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the law which dictates that all structures within the state must be structurally fit and habitable.

The directives came as a response to a demonstration by traders of the affected building, who appealed for the intervention of the state government to address the crisis that had trailed the inferno especially its financial effects on surrounding structures.