Fire has gutted the Tejuosho Market in Lagos State destroying properties worth millions of naira.
The fire reportedly broke around 12.30 pm on Wednesday at the market in the Yaba area of the State with several wooden shanties having been affected by the fire.
According to Core TV News, the incident began in a room where the occupant had left food unattended on a gas cooker. The fire quickly spread to multiple wooden structures along the canal, causing panic as residents fled for safety.
Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Fire Service, Nigeria Police, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Watch, and others had arrived at the scene to combat the fire.
Government officials Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of LASEMA, and Margaret Adeseye, Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that the fire was under control and rescue operations were ongoing.
“Upon arrival at the incident scene, it was discovered that several wooden shanties along Tejuosho Canal were gutted by fire. Firefighting efforts are ongoing to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings such as NTA, Oba Tejuosho House, and other residential estates in the area. Rescue operations are still in progress,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.