Fire ‌razes nine shops at shopping complex in Ibadan – Official

Nine shops and goods worth several millions of naira were razed by devastating fire at the Railway Shopping Complex on the Alesinloye Market road, Ibadan, on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fire, which affected lock-up shops in the complex, was attributed to an electric surge.

The Chairman of the Oyo Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Ibadan.

Mr Akinwande said that the agency got a distress telephone call about the fire incident at exactly 5:58 a.m.

He said the agency immediately mobilised firefighters, led by a Chief Fire Superintendent (CFS), to the scene.

“Upon arrival, the crew discovered that nine lock-up shops, out of several shops within the complex, were engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the affected premises.

“The crew immediately commenced firefighting operations and called for reinforcement.

“A second fire truck with a 10,000-litre water capacity was subsequently deployed to the scene,” he said.

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According to him, the fire was completely extinguished through the combined efforts of the firefighters and first responders at the scene, who prevented it from spreading to adjoining shops and properties.

Mr Akinwande said that no life was lost in the fire incident and attributed the cause to an electrical surge that ignited combustible materials in the affected shops.