Chaos arose in Jankara Market, Isale Eko area of Lagos State on Wednesday after a building containing a stockpile of firecrackers caught fire, killing at least one person and injuring 40 others. It was observed that at least 12 buildings were razed by the fire while 10 vehicles were completely burnt.
According to residents, the fire started from a makeshift warehouse located on 45 Ojo Giwa Street at about 9:30am.and spread to other houses. An occupant of the building where the fire started from, Chibuzor Ukandu, said it started around 9am. Ukandu, who owned an electronic store on the ground floor of the two-storey building, said he lost all his property.
He said, “Around 9am, I was attending to a customer when I heard a loud explosion. Before I knew it, fire had started spreading very quickly.
“I tried to issue my customer a receipt before evacuating my goods but the fire was spreading so fast. The explosion occurred again and I managed to pull out only my customer. All my goods were burnt.”
It was learnt that the explosions caused pandemonium as many people thought they were bomb blasts. Fire fighters were seen attempting to put out the fire for hours as smoke billowed from the affected buildings. The fire, however, continued to rage as the explosives continued to go off.
Some of the buildings affected by the fire were warehouses and shops for traders on the Island. Items stored in those building, included electrical accessories, electronics equipment, and household items among others.
