Fire Razes 150 Spare Parts Shops 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,
including their materials, were consumed by an inferno.
The fire was caused by an electricalpower surge in one of the shops at
a section of the plaza some minutes after 3pm.
The infreno started from a shop onthe 'B' line of the market few
minutes after the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, restored power to
the shopping complex.
The Speed Well Plaza is estimated to accommodate no fewer than 200
shops, mostly spare parts traders.
A resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said,"This whole incident started when PHCN restored power here around
1.00p.m.
"Not long after that, I saw a thick smoke coming from one of the shops
on B line,though I didn't know the fire was going to be this big and
spread to other parts of the plaza."
Some of the affected traders expressed shock at the mid-Sunday fire.
They lamented the extent of the destruction, adding that for them to
get back to business, the governmentr would need to assist them.
A distressed trader, Mr. Izuchukwu Agwu, 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 inforeno.
The Director of the Lagos State FireService, Mr. Rasak Fadipe,
explainedthat the fire was aggravated by theinflammable materials
stored in most of the shops in the spare parts market.