Fire Razes Spare Parts Shop in Apapa

Tragedy struck on Sunday at  the Trinity Spare Parts Market in the Olodi Apapa area of Ajegunle, Lagos, as no fewer than 150 shops was consumed by an inferno.

Sources report that the fire was caused by an electrical power surge few minutes after the Power Holding Company of Nigeria,  restored power to the shopping complex. The fire started in one of the  shops in B line and spread to the other parts of the plaza.

The Speed Well Plaza is estimated to accommodate no fewer than  200  shops,  mostly  spare parts traders.

Some of the affected traders, who spoke about the incident, expressed shock at the mid-Sunday fire,

lamented the extent of the destruction, adding that for them to get back to business, the government would need to assist them.

 A distressed trader said, "I am finished. As you are seeing me here, I have lost everything I have to this fire incident."

"Unless something is done, I am heading back to the village and you know what it means – suicide. I sleep in my shop and I have no other business here."

He added, "I was lucky not to have been in there when the fire started. Who knows, I might have been burnt. Now, what else do I have? I am heading back to the village tonight."

Policemen from Trinity Police Station with other security personnel provided security at the plaza as fire fighters from the Lagos State Fire Service and those believed to be from Julius Berger Plc battled to put out the ragging inferno.

The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, explained that the fire was aggravated by the inflammable materials stored in most of the shops in the spare parts market.
My heart goes out to this people.