Fire wreaks havoc in Lagos

•Balogun Market, 4 buildings razed
Scene of the fire incident at Balogun Market in Lagos
yesterday. Photo: OLUFEMI KAYODE
Fire razes 4 houses as 23 nursing, midwifery students faint
By DEJI AROLOYE
No fewer than four houses were razed, while 23 students of
Lagos State School of Nursing and Midwifery in Igando fainted
yesterday due to a fire outbreak at a dumpsite close to the
Alimosho General Hospital housing the two schools.
It was gathered that the students, who were alleged to be
asthmatic, had arrived early for lectures, but inhaled fumes
emanating from the burning dumpsite, which had already
enveloped the entire hospital premises.
Thousands of residents were thrown in disarray in the area
due to the fire outbreak.
The fire, which started on Sunday, has not been put off as at
yesterday morning.
Daily Sun learnt that many residents had gone to worship at
their various religious centres when the fire began to spread.
At the General Hospital, Igando, patients were discharged to
avoid disaster as the premises was covered with smoke.
Almost all members of staff of the hospital were wearing nose
mask.
A staff member of the hospital who refused to mention her
name said: “Public servants are not allowed to speak to the
press, but the patients have been asked to leave the hospital
because of their safety.”
At the gate, a security woman was turning back pregnant
women who had come to the hospital for their routine pre-
natal care.
“Please go home, smoke is everywhere. We want to avoid
another crisis here,” she said.
Daily Sun saw seven of the students being moved from the
hospital supported with oxygen to another facility.
A middle-aged personnel at the school later told Daily Sun
that “23 students have been affected and we have moved to
Ikeja General Hospital. Though we have not recorded any
death, two of the students are in critical condition.”
An eyewitness told Daily Sun that he noticed the fire on
Sunday afternoon as smoke took over the sky of the environs.
He said: “I was sleeping in the room when someone came to
tell me that the dumpsite had caught fire. I made effort to call
the emergency line and what they told me was that they were
coming.”
Another eyewitness said the fire fighters from Alimosho
arrived late to the scene and complained of shortage of water.
According to him, “the firefighters came but there was not
enough water. They had to go back to their office to bring
more water. The fire is from the LAWMA site and we had been
telling them before the incident, but all our pleas turned on
deaf ear.”
Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) uses the
site as dump for its refuse and condemned tyres. There has
been a row between LAWMA and the residents in the past, but
the practice continued unabated according to the residents.