A midnight fire outbreak has destroyed no fewer than 17 shops at Sabo Market in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, with emergency responders preventing the flames from spreading to other parts of the busy market.
The incident occurred at about 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
The agency’s spokesperson, Olawale Afolabi, said preliminary findings indicate that the blaze may have been triggered by an electrical power surge while electricity supply was on.
“The immediate cause is suspected to be an electrical surge, as the outbreak reportedly occurred while the power supply was active,” Afolabi said.
He explained that the fire started in one shop before rapidly extending to neighbouring stalls, affecting 17 out of the 32 shops located within the affected section of the market.
Emergency responders were able to contain the inferno before it engulfed other parts of the market, saving several adjoining shops from destruction.
“Fortunately, no loss of life or injuries were recorded. The remaining shops within the affected row, as well as adjoining shops in the market, were largely salvaged due to the timely response of emergency teams,” he said.
Afolabi added that firefighters and other emergency personnel successfully concluded recovery operations at the scene, after which the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency Response Team withdrew from the area.
The latest incident comes barely two days after a fire ravaged a three-storey building in the Ketu-Ikosi area of Lagos, raising fresh concerns over recurring fire outbreaks in the state.
