Fire yesterday destroyed shops under Eko Bridge on the Lagos Island.
The blaze also partly damaged the bridge, forcing the state government to close it to traffic.
The fire, according to Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Adeseye Margaret, was reported around 03:14am.
According to her, the intensity of the fire badly affected the bridge and caused a gridlock on it.
An eyewitness told The Nation how the Apongbon fire started.
She said, “We were upstairs when we got a call around 2am alerting us of a fire incident. We rushed downstairs to see where the fire broke out. It didn’t break out from my mom’s shop, the fire started from the other end of the bridge.”
Motorists were told to take alternative routes.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced alternative routes for Lagos Island-bound commuters and motorists.
Its Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, said mororists coming from Ikorodu Road should take a detour via Jibowu to connect Yaba through to Oyingbo or Adekunle, from there to Adeniji and Adeniji to Ebutte Ero or continue their movement toward CSM or inner Marina.
“Second route for those going to Ijora, Costain or inner part of Surulere can continue through the crawling movement to connect Eko Bridge, take a detour to Ijora and continue journey to Apapa or toward Leventis, UBA Roundabout to connect Marina.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts (CBD), Gbenga Oyerinde, gave shop owners and squatters 48 hours’ notice to vacate the axis.
Anyone found trading and using under the bridge as space for storage of goods, he said, would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the state laws.
He described owners of containers and makeshift shops affected by the fire incident under the bridge as illegal squatters.
According to him, containers and makeshift shops would no longer be allowed at the section affected by the fire under the bridge.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said: “The bridge has also been shut pending when integrity and Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, is conducted on the bridge to determine the level of public safety”.
The Federal Government said it will assess the damage caused by the early morning blaze.
The Katsina-Ala market fire started around midnight on Tuesday, The Nation learnt.
A trader, Okey Aba, who deals in wrappers and shoes, said he closed from the market at about 6pm and was eating his dinner when he got a call telling that the market was on fire and that his shop was affected.
“Before I could rush back to the market everything in my shop had burnt to ashes,” Aba said.
He appealed to the state government and individuals to support him to restart his business.
Another trader, Mrs .Nwoye Okogwu, said cash that she left in the shop because it was too late to go the bank was burnt alongside her goods in the provision shop were gone and wonder where she will start from with four children.
The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, but most of the traders who spoke to The Nation said the blaze started from a corner shop in the market.
The Nation also gathered that there no fire service station I’m the whole of the zone.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Benue north senatorial zone DR. Gabriel Suswam said ” he received the sad news of the fire inferno which gutted the Katsina-Ala Main Market last night and was deeply touch .
According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Bede Bartholomew, and made available to The Nation quoted Senator Suswam as saying ” am very sad and sympathizes with the victims who suffered unquantifiable losses and the people of the town.
Suswam said, “I’m deeply touched by the unfortunate incident, especially coming at this hard times that the people are facing multiple social and economic hardships.
The former governor further said that after the investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak is completed, he will collaborate with the Council Administration and State Government to see what could be done to bring immediate relief to the victims and put in place preventive measures to avoid such devastating occurrence in the future.
