Tragedy struck on Independence Day as fire gutted 26 shops at the popular Bariga Market in Lagos, destroying goods worth millions of naira in the early hours of Wednesday.

The incident occurred barely 24 hours after the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) held a summit on emergency response in the state.

According to a statement by LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the fire broke out around 4 a.m. and quickly spread through the market.

“Further information received at the incident scene revealed that the fire started from one of the shops and quickly spread to other shops because the key-clamp shops were supported and partitioned by wooden frameworks,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He explained that emergency responders battled the flames and were able to contain the fire, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the market. “The incident scene was proactively managed to avoid any secondary incidents,” he added.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but preliminary reports confirmed that 26 shops were affected. While the financial losses are enormous, no lives were lost and no injuries were reported.

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