There was pandemonium at Dosumu Market off Idumagbo Avenue, Lagos, when fire gutted over 20 buildings.
The traders, customers and residents took to their heels when one of the buildings exploded and sparked off fire causing stamped as everybody scampered for safety, reports Daily Sun.
The fire which spread from one of the buildings started escalating to other buildings.
As of 1 pm today, the fire had spread to five buildings and one of the buildings collapsed as a result of the intensity of the fire.
However, about 20 buildings including 14 high buildings have been affected.
Property worth billions of naira were destroyed in the fire outbreak.
A trader, Mike Orji, said it would be difficult to quantity the amount of money lost in the inferno,” it is too early to know how much that is lost. This is an international market. Over 20 buildings have been destroyed.”
As at the time of filing the report, emergency responders Including the fire service, LASTMA, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Police Command, Civil Defence Corps and paramilitary agencies were on the ground trying to put out the fire.
A senior police officer told our correspondent that they were on the ground to prevent hoodlums from cashing in on the situation to loot shops.
Today’s fire incident occurs barely 24 hours after fire razed down the Cosmetics and hair attachment section of Balogun market in central business district area of Lagos Island