No casualties recorded in Sabo market outbreak — LASEMA
By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
No life was lost and no injury was recorded after a fire outbreak razed part of Sabo Market in Ikorodu, Lagos, in the early hours of Monday, following the swift intervention of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
LASEMA disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, noting that the agency’s Tiger Squad and firefighters were deployed to the scene immediately after receiving a distress call at about 1:10 a.m.
According to the agency, emergency responders arrived to find a row of shops engulfed in flames, with preliminary investigations indicating that the fire started in one shop before spreading to adjoining stores.
The statement added that the immediate cause of the fire is suspected to be an electrical surge, as the incident reportedly occurred while electricity supply was on.
It stated that coordinated firefighting operations successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other sections of the market and neighbouring properties.
A post-incident assessment showed that 17 of the 32 shops in the affected section of the market were damaged, with provisions, groceries, foodstuffs and other valuable goods destroyed by the inferno.
Despite the losses, LASEMA said prompt intervention by emergency responders saved the remaining shops within the affected row as well as nearby structures.
The agency added that recovery operations had been completed and its response teams had returned to base.
Commending the efforts of emergency personnel, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, attributed the successful containment of the incident to the coordinated response of the agency’s Tiger Squad and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
He urged traders, market leaders and residents to prioritise electrical safety by ensuring proper wiring of shops, avoiding the overloading of electrical appliances and carrying out regular inspections of electrical installations, particularly during periods of power supply.
Oke-Osanyintolu also advised residents to remain vigilant and promptly report emergencies through the state’s toll-free emergency lines.
He reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to safeguarding lives, property and livelihoods through prompt emergency response and public safety measures.