Fire and smoking seen in one of the affected houses

Our correspondent who reported from the scene of Idumota, Lagos explosion gives a blow-to-blow account of the explosion which lead to the death of 14 years old girl, burning of no fewer than 10 houses, lost of property worth millions of Naira and leading to many people sustaining injuries

Excerpt

No fewer than fifteen houses and dozens of cars were gutted by an early morning inferno caused by Fireworks popularly called ‘Banger’ in Jankara area of Isale-Eko, Lagos.

The Fire started from a building, which served a Warehouse for the fireworks and spread wildly to other buildings around the area.
Since the area is mainly a commercial area, the inferno attracted many hoodlums who attempted to loot some of the houses affected by the fire but they were sharply prevented by dozens of policemen and military personnel who arrived there at about 9.30am to cordon off the area.
Urhobotoday learnt that one 14years old girl was feared dead during the fire, with dozens of persons reportedly sustained injuries in their attempt to escape.
Policemen attached to Area ‘A’ Police Command, Lion Building, Lagos led by the Area Commander, Mr. Imohinmi Edgal, an Assistant Commissioner of Police had arrested about ten persons who attempted to loot the affected buildings.
According to Edgal, “There is nothing to fear, my men have been here since morning and we have been able to break the wings of those hoodlums who wanted to loot. We are deploying more policemen to this place.”
When Urhobotoday online visited the scene, smoke was billowing from the burnt fireworks, while some of the fireworks, which had not exploded, were still making some quaking noise.
Some of the buildings affected by the fire serve as warehouse and shops for traders on the Lagos Island. Items stored in those buildings, ranged from Electrical accessories, Electronics equipments, Household items among others.
Though firemen from the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos Island East Fire Service and Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA) were able battled the flame, parts of some of the building were still smouldering as at 1.30p.m.
A senior official with the Lagos State Fire Service, who was on mufti, but apparently in charge of putting out the fire, said ‘It was a colossal damage’.
Chairman of Lagos Island East Local Government, Mr. Kamal Bashua told The Guardian that his office would carry out a discrete probe into the matter with a view to fishing out the perpetrators of the act.
“We have been trying to curtail what comes into our Market, I cannot explain how this people beat our security to bring in explosives like this. Thank God that as at now, no life has officially been declared lost. It is disheartening to see that fireworks that look like bomb could be imported. The fire has put down over ten buildings. By the time you go to the next street, you would discover that this fire has affected many houses. We are trying to make sure that it does not escalate more than this.” He said.
Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Fadipe complained that tumultuous crowd which besieged the scene of the fire had prevented more fire-fighting trucks to move in and support other fire fighters.
According to Fadipe, “ Some of the buildings are about to collapse but we have been prevailing on the residents to vacate the residence but they refused. The major factor hindering our service now is crowd control. Our fire-fighting vehicles are around but they cannot come in here because of the crowd. The police and the military are trying their best but the crowd still persisted. But I can assure you that if more of our fire-fighting trucks move in here, the fire would be contained.”
A fire fighter who pleaded anonymity said the ‘explosion was massive’.
According to him, “ When we got here this morning, we were afraid to advance because of the heat radiation, but now, we are advancing and the fire would soon be totally put out.
An eyewitness, a trader who gave his name simply as Sunday said: “I was at the shop around here to buy sachet water, suddenly we heard an explosion, we thought it was bomb explosion. The explosion was very heavy. We all started packing our wares and closing our shops. What I am telling you was like a film. One 14years old small girl died in the next building. The walls fell on her and he was reported dead.”
Lagos State Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) said policemen who responded swiftly to distress call put the situation under control.