A warehouse on Lagos Island’s Broad Street, called the Mandilas Building, has caught fire.
According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the fire started on the first floor and has already spread to the fourth storey.
“A warehouse in a 14-storey building is on fire. The fire originated on the first floor and has now reached the fourth floor,” the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said in a statement.
No casualties have been reported so far.
While emergency personnel are on the scene, the source of the fire, which is said to have damaged products worth millions, has yet to be revealed as of the time of this article.
Fires in markets are widespread in Nigeria.
Minutes after the inferno, some traders stormed the area and were apprehended while attempting to save some of their merchandise and other valuables.
But rescue workers are on the site, attempting to extinguish the fire.
Fires are not uncommon in Nigerian markets. Recall that in November, an inferno struck the famed Ladipo Market in the country’s commercial centre. The majority of the events have been attributed to electrical surges and faulty market structures, which make it easier for the fire to spread.
Late reaction by emergency officials and a lack of firefighting facilities have also previously hampered the fight against fires, particularly in public spaces.
