Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The high voltage of electricity supplied by Ikeja Electric has been blamed for the fire incident that occurred on Sunday at a popular plank market in Ketu, Lagos.
According to the Director-General/CEO of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the power surge that day was responsible for the unfortunate incident.
The inferno, he said, led to the loss of properties worth tens of millions of Naira. However, he assured the traders that the state government will do everything within its powers to support them.
Speaking during a post-disaster assessment on Tuesday, the LASEMA chief said efforts would be made to relocate the traders to some newly constructed shops in the market.
Business Post recalled that about 250 traders at the Ifelodun Ketu Demurin Plank Market lost their livelihoods and goods last Sunday to the fire.
Fortunately, no life was lost and this was attributed to the quick appearance of LASEMA’s first responders.
“From our preliminary investigation, we discovered that the fire was caused by a power surge and other associated factors.
“During the dry season, planks are highly flammable, so also the chemicals used in processing the planks and so traders should be conscious of this,” Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said during the visit.
Speaking further, he said, “Government will also equip the market with safety equipment such as fire hydrants to protect lives and properties.”
However, he urged them to be more conscious of the materials they use especially during the dry season to avoid fire outbreak.
In his remarks, the chairman of the plank sellers at the market, Mr Aliyu Bello, pleaded with the state government to allocate the newly built shops to forestall fire outbreaks.
He assured the state government that his members would take every necessary step to prevent a future occurrence at the market and adhere strictly to safety protocols. Mr Bello thanked the LASEMA boss for the visit.
