Fire guts Lagos plank market
A devastating fire outbreak has engulfed the Oko Baba plank market in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State, leaving several shanties destroyed and causing widespread panic.
Emergency responders, including officials from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), are currently battling the blaze.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started in the early hours of Sunday and has spread quickly, consuming several shanties and stalls in the market. “The whole place is on fire, and it’s spreading fast,” said Adedeji Olalekan, a social media user who shared the news on X.com
LASEMA’s spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, confirmed the incident and said that emergency teams are actively engaged in search and rescue efforts at the affected site near Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta. “We are currently battling the fire, and our teams are working hard to put it out,” Okunbor said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but officials say they are investigating the incident.
The market has been cordoned off, and traders and residents have been evacuated from the area.
This is not the first time the Oko Baba market has been affected by a fire outbreak. In 2020, a similar incident occurred, leaving several traders and residents displaced.
