2 transport workers die in Lagos inferno

Two transport workers, John and Yaro have lost their lives in a fire incident that occurred at Ijora Badia suburb of Lagos on Thursday, January 15.

27-year-old John and 32-year-old Yaro were burnt to death in one of the buildings that were destroyed by the fire.

According to punch, another fire incident on the same day which occurred at the Iwaya suburb of Lagos destroyed about 35 shops, not fewer than 18 vehicles and 25 buildings.

The fire incident at both Ijora Badia and Iwaya was reported to have occurred at about 1am and lasted till about 6am.

One of the affected residents in Ijora, Mr. Gbenga Ojajuni, told Punch that the fire started from a power surge.

“We had not had constant electricity in the area for months, but three days ago, the power supply became regular. At about 1am, there was a surge in a shop, and the fire started. Most of us were sleeping. By the time we became aware of the incident, several buildings were ablaze. We mobilised ourselves and tried to extinguish it. We did not realise that two men were trapped in a room. It was after the fire had gone down, and we were clearing the debris, that we saw them. The two men were transport workers, and they were sleeping in the same room. The fire consumed our property and the goods in our shops. As I speak with you, we have nothing left,” Mr. Gbenga Ojajuni, who lost a shop and a five-room apartment to the fire revealed.

In Iwaya, an affected resident, Mr Yekini Azeez, who lost his commercial bus to the fire, told Punch that the fire incident in Iwaya was the handwork of some hoodlums.