Two electrocuted as fire guts buildings, shops

Two residents have been electrocuted after a spark from an electric pole ignited a fire on Shogbamu Street, in the Bariga area of Lagos State.

A 78-year-old grandmother, identified only as Obasanya, was reported to have also passed out during the incident which occurred around 5am on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the fire, which destroyed property and goods worth at millions of naira, affected two houses and burnt five shops.

A witness, who did not identify himself, said the electrocuted residents, who he identified as Emeka and Moshood, were rushed to a general hospital for treatment.

He said, “Power had been fluctuating that morning. But around 5am, power suddenly went off and there was a spark on the pole.

“One of the cables fell on the roof of a house at the backyard and the fire started from there. A woman, who had gone out to urinate, saw the fire and raised the alarm, which created confusion.

“While some residents fought the fire, others called the police, fire service and the electricity distribution company.

“The Ikeja Electric said it was aware of the incident and that its officials were on the way. Some of the residents climbed the roof of the house to put out the fire.

“Emeka and Moshood were trying to put out the fire when they were flung away by the current. They sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital.”

An electronics dealer, Mr. Tajudeen Bakare, said he had been operating in the area since 1974, adding that his two shops which he newly stocked were destroyed.

He explained that he always switched off his electrical appliances after closing from work, saying the power distribution company was to blame.

He said, “Right before my eyes, the fire caught my two shops and I could not do anything. The first big shop, which had gas cookers, refrigerators, washing machines, generators, among others, contained goods worth N75m. The second shop had goods valued at N35m. I lost everything. I am ruined completely.”

A trader, who identified himself only as Sherifat, said she lost all her property and goods to the inferno.

She said, “I just left my former house and I packed all my property into the shop, while I live with a friend. All I have left is just the blouse and skirt I am putting on. All the goods and property in my shop are gone. Where do I start from?”

PUNCH Metro gathered that a face-off between some hoodlums and officials of the state fire service was averted by community leaders after the firefighters arrived without water.

“People were angry that they arrived two hours after we called them. And they didn’t have water. 

The police and some residents had to go to look for water. Sadly, by the time they returned, there was nothing left to salvage in the shops,” a resident said.

The Head, Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I still don’t have a clear picture of the incident and how it relates to us. I have passed on the message for further investigation and will share feedback with you when I get it,” he said in a text message.

The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, denied that the firefighters went to the scene without water.

He said, “We didn’t have any face-off with anybody. We got a distress call around 6.16am and we arrived at the scene at 6.23am. We deployed fire trucks from the Alausa and Ilupeju fire stations. 

There is no way we would go to a place with three fire trucks and we would not have water.”

The General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Michael Akindele, confirmed the incident, saying the fire was caused by power surge.

He added that five shops and one room were destroyed by the inferno.