Over 70 Displaced In Lagos Fire Disaster

Over 70 people have been displaced as fire razed three buildings at Ijesa area of Lagos.

As victims of the disaster mourn the tragic
incident and worry about where they
would lay their heads, state governor,
Babatunde Fashola ordered that the
Agbowa relief camp, Ikorodu be opened
for the displaced victims.

The fire disaster was said to have occurred
at about 3:00 p.m. on Monday and razed
the three buildings on Nos. 34,35 & 36 Obi
Osa Street, Off Baruwa Bus Stop, Ijesa,
destroying property worth several millions.

Confirming the incident, Information
officer of the National Emergency
Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim
Farinloye, told Vanguard, yesterday, that
three houses were razed by the inferno
and one person sustained injury while trying to escape the scene.

According to him, the fire disaster may
have occurred due to electrical surge. He
added, "when we arrived at the scene, the
electricity was still on. Immediately we
noticed this, we called the authorities in
charge of power supply in the area to disconnect the power supply to the area."

The General Manager of the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA,
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the
action of the state governor, saying that
the agency was prompt in responding to
the fire out-break through the Local Emergency Management Committee in
Itire-Ikate Local Council Development
Area.

Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA, as the first
responder came to the scene to complement the work of the local emergency management committee.

He said investigation was on-going to ascertain the cause of the fire.

"The fire incident resulted in displaced
people. As a consequence of this, the
governor has directed that the Lagos State
Relief Camp in Agbowa be opened.

"LASEMA has therefore commenced the
evacuation of the Internally Displaced
People, IDP, to the Agbowa Relief Camp as
directed by the governor of the state," he
said.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency had
begun the enumeration of the displaced
persons and would relocate them to the
camp anytime from now.