Properties worth millions of naira destroyed in Somolu fire incident.

Properties estimated to be worth millions of naira were destroyed following a devastating fire outbreak that occurred in the Somolu area of Lagos State, throwing residents and business owners into palpable tension.

The inferno, which broke out at No. 8, Oguntolu Street, Somolu, gutted a multi-purpose building housing several printing companies as well as residential apartments, leaving occupants counting their losses.

The fire reportedly started around 12:00 pm and spread rapidly, consuming valuable equipment, documents, household items and other properties before help could arrive.

According to an eyewitness account, the fire was first noticed when thick smoke began to billow from one section of the building, raising alarm among residents of the neighbourhood.

“We suddenly saw smoke and heard people shouting ‘fire, fire.’ Before we could do much, the flames had already spread to other parts of the building,” the eyewitness recounted.

Efforts by residents and passers-by to salvage properties were largely unsuccessful due to the intensity of the fire. Several printing machines, computers, finished and unfinished jobs, as well as personal belongings of residents, were completely razed.

Men of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later arrived at the scene and worked tirelessly to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjoining buildings. Their intervention helped to bring the situation under control, though not before extensive damage had been done.

While no loss of life was recorded, some occupants reportedly sustained minor injuries during frantic efforts to rescue belongings and were attended to by sympathisers at the scene.

At the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire incident had yet to be officially ascertained.

The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety measures in densely populated areas of Lagos, with residents calling for increased awareness, regular inspection of electrical installations and quicker emergency response to avert future occurrences.