*Traders count losses, as Lagos marks building for structural test
BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO
Lagos — The raging fire that engulfed the 25-storey building on 45 and 47 Martins Street, Lagos Island Local Government Area, owned by the Great Nigeria Insurance Company Limited, popularly called Great Nigeria House, was put out 24 hours after it started.
The fire, which started about 6:00a.m. at the first floor and spread to others floors in the over 30-year-old building, was put out at about 4:30a.m. yesterday by the rescue team which comprised of the Federal and State Fire service, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, their Lagos State counterpart, LASEMA and other emergency agencies.
When Vanguard visited the scene at about 10:00a.m., fire fighting trucks owned by the Lagos State Fire Service were sighted waiting for any sign of the fire. It was also discovered that the fire had affected three other floors on the building.
At the scene, traders of the burnt building were sighted salvaging what was left of their goods. While some were, however, narrating their own accounts of the tragedy to other traders, others were recounting their past experiences on fire outbreaks.
Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe who spoke to Vanguard said that the fire was put out at 4:30a.m. yesterday after using 10, 000 litres of water from fire trucks.
According to Fadipe: “I have stationed two fire trucks with 10, 000 litres of water each at the scene. This is to extinguish any fire from the building.”
Losses
While recounting his losses, Mr. Anthony Tochukwu, who rented a shop on the building a year ago, said, “I don’t know what to say. I have lost all my investments here. I came here last year when the Euro Plaza was engulfed by fire. And my aim was to move to a better place, but all I have invested here is gone.
While recounting his losses, Mr. Anthony Tochukwu, who rented a shop on the building a year ago, said, “I don’t know what to say. I have lost all my investments here. I came here last year when the Euro Plaza was engulfed by fire. And my aim was to move to a better place, but all I have invested here is gone.
“While I am still battling to repay the loans I took when I was still trading at the Euro Asia Plaza, then this occurred again.”
Another trader, Mr. Kenneth Chukwudi, said: “I cannot tell you the worth of the goods burnt but I know that all my years of hard labour were burnt in this building.
Mr. Akinbode Olaoluwa mooted: “I work for one of the corporate organisations that occupies this building. My entire documents, especially vital ones, have been burnt. I don’t know what to do. These are documents I have been processing for years. They determine who I am.”
Stability Test
Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed said that the building will undergo Structural Stability Test, SST.
Ahmed who spoke at the scene of the inferno explained that the test is very important because the pillars of the building have been affected by the fire.
Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed said that the building will undergo Structural Stability Test, SST.
Ahmed who spoke at the scene of the inferno explained that the test is very important because the pillars of the building have been affected by the fire.
According to him: “We will conduct SST on the building to ascertain if the building is still habitable.”
When we have completed the test, we will know what to do to the building. And there is an assurance that the test will be conducted in time.”
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When we have completed the test, we will know what to do to the building. And there is an assurance that the test will be conducted in time.”
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