Two rescued as fire guts residential buildings in Lagos

Two adult men were rescued on Tuesday after a fire broke out at 43 Onitire Road, Smith Bus Stop, Itire, Lagos State, with one of them sustaining burn injuries.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service disclosed this in a statement, noting that the fire affected an eight-room bungalow before spreading to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of an adjoining two-storey residential building.

According to the agency, an emergency call was received at about 9:10 p.m., prompting the deployment of firefighters to the scene.

The rescue team arrived at approximately 9:35 p.m. and immediately began firefighting operations while rescuing the victims.

“The bungalow and its contents were severely damaged by the fire, while the affected section of the two-storey building and its contents sustained minor damage”, the statement read in part.

During the operation, the statement noted that firefighters rescued a 75-year-old man alive from the bungalow.

A 42-year-old man, who sustained burn injuries in his earlier bid to rescue the wheelchair-ridden aged man, was also rescued and transported to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical attention.

The fire was successfully brought under control, as the Service added that preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting in an electrical surge may have caused the incident.

It, however, noted that the exact cause remained subject to further determination.

The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, urged residents to ensure that electrical installations are properly maintained, avoid overloading electrical sockets, and engage qualified electricians to inspect and repair faulty electrical systems.

Residents were also advised to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and promptly report fire emergencies through the agency’s toll-free emergency lines 112 or 767, or the Lagos Fire hotline, 08033235891.

The operations were carried out by personnel from Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, with support from the Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba. The Lagos Response Unit (LRU), LASAMBUS, the Nigeria Police Force from Itire Division and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were also at the scene.

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