A major fire outbreak has reportedly razed an electronic plaza and several adjoining shops in the Ikotun area of Lagos State, leaving traders with huge losses and reducing years of investment to ashes.
Eyewitnesses said the inferno, which broke out in the early hours of the day, spread rapidly through the plaza, destroying shops largely occupied by electronics dealers and spare-parts merchants. Many of the affected businesses are reportedly owned by Igbo traders who dominate the electronics trade in the area.
Although the exact cause of the fire remains unclear as of the time of filing this report, residents alleged that the blaze escalated quickly due to the presence of highly flammable electronic materials and the late arrival of firefighting personnel. Efforts by shop owners and passersby to salvage goods proved abortive as the flames overwhelmed the complex.
Victims were seen wailing and counting their losses, with some traders lamenting that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed. Several shop owners also claimed that they had not fully recovered from previous economic challenges before this devastating incident struck.
Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were later sighted at the scene battling the fire and preventing it from spreading to nearby residential buildings. No casualties have been officially confirmed, but investigations are expected to determine the cause of the incident.
The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety standards in commercial centers, particularly markets dealing in electronics, as affected traders call on the government for urgent intervention, support, and improved emergency response.
More details are expected to emerge as authorities continue their assessment of the damage.
