A China-based clothier, identified simply as Obum, and about three other traders are still trapped under rubble following a fire that gutted a plaza popularly known as the Great Nigeria Insurance House, located in the Balogun Market area of Lagos Island.

The plaza is renowned for the sale of clothing and shoes for both children and adults.

The fire started on Wednesday on the fourth floor and spread to the sixth floor of the 22-storey building.

It later spread to other floors and adjoining structures.

During a visit to the scene on Thursday, our correspondent observed that the high-rise commercial building had been completely burnt and left severely damaged.

It was gathered that a detached section of the plaza collapsed, trapping some traders in the process.

Obum’s friend, Zaccheaus Afolayan, told PUNCH Metro that the trader was evacuating his goods when the incident occurred.

He said, “Obum’s store is behind the plaza. He had already evacuated almost all his goods when the fire spread and went back to retrieve the remaining items.

“That was when a detached part of the plaza, weakened by the fire, collapsed on his store.”

Afolayan added that Obum contacted him from beneath the rubble in the early hours of Thursday, confirming that he was still alive.

“He called me around 2am from under the rubble, and that was when we knew he was alive. He said he was not the only one trapped.

“He begged us not to let him die, saying no one would take care of his children. He is based in China and only comes home during festive periods to do business,” he said.

Afolayan, who also owns a shop in the market, said Obum, an indigene of Umuoji in Anambra State, called again on Thursday afternoon but sounded weaker.

Another trader, identified simply as Charles, told PUNCH Metro that two other persons were believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

“As I speak with you, two people have called from under the rubble. The relatives of one of them just arrived from Onitsha after he called to say he was trapped.

“Another man also said his brother called him, including Obum,” he said.

Meanwhile, some traders were seen weeping as goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire.

Others gathered around the burnt structure, lamenting their losses.

A trader, Ngozi Chukwu, was seen crying as bystanders tried to console her. Chukwu, a widow, said her Christmas stock worth over N20m was destroyed.

“My shop was opposite the building. When the fire started, I locked my store and rushed home to attend to my daughter, who was ill.

“I didn’t know people stayed behind to remove their goods. I returned today only to find my shop completely burnt. I don’t know where to start,” she said.

Another trader, Francis, who sells shoes and clothes, said he had just restocked his shop before the incident.

“I restocked my shop last week. When the fire started, no one thought it would spread this badly. By the time we realised we had to evacuate, the fire had already spread, so I could only throw a few items downstairs,” he said.

Another female trader who arrived at the scene went on her knees and burst into tears upon seeing the destruction.

It was gathered that about five 40-foot containers loaded with clothing items were offloaded into the plaza on Tuesday.

“That’s how containers come here almost every day with goods for traders,” a resident, Sunkanmi Taofeek, said.

An eyewitness, Jamiu Olakehu, said the point where the fire started was inaccessible to firefighters.

“The fire service arrived around 6 p.m. but couldn’t reach the source because the access route had been converted into shops. It was originally a car park, so their intervention was limited,” he said.

In a statement on Thursday, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said seven adult males sustained varying degrees of burns and were taken to nearby hospitals.

She added that three male and two female victims were treated for smoke inhalation and discharged at the scene.

“The Radio Nigeria seven-storey building opposite the plaza was successfully protected, while dampening down is ongoing,” she said.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, who visited the scene, dispersed onlookers and traders crowding the area, noting that police had difficulty controlling the crowd when the fire started.

In another statement signed by Adeseye, the fire service said 10 persons, mostly males, were rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and are in stable condition.

It was further gathered that five adjoining buildings were affected—two partially and three severely—including the old Lagos Central Mosque.

The fire service cited challenges such as poor storage practices involving highly combustible materials, crowd control issues, and limited accessibility, which worsened the spread of the fire and hampered suppression efforts. (The PUNCH)

• PHOTO: Fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island. Credit: Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service | X

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