LASEMA clears truck accident in Lagos

Emergency responders yesterday successfully contained a fire outbreak at a Justrite Superstore in Egbeda, Lagos, and cleared a separate container truck accident at Aiye Bus Stop, with no casualties recorded in either incident.

he fire, which damaged the electronics section on the second floor of the Superstore located at No. 116, Akowonjo Road, Jimoh Bus Stop, Egbeda-Akowonjo, was swiftly brought under control through a coordinated response by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at about 8:15 a.m. and immediately deployed personnel from the Abesan and Agege Fire Stations, who arrived at the scene by 8:28 a.m.

Firefighters promptly deployed equipment to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the commercial building and protecting lives and property.

The fire has since been extinguished, while recovery and mopping-up operations have been completed.

Controller of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

She disclosed that preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have originated from an alternative power source, believed to be a solar inverter system, while a full investigation into the cause is ongoing.

LASEMA said its Dolphin Response Team joined other emergency agencies in containing the fire, alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and officers of the Nigeria Police from the Shasha Division.

In a separate incident earlier in the morning, LASEMA’s Eagle Response Team responded to a container truck accident at Aiye Bus Stop, inward Aswani, after receiving a distress call at about 8:22 a.m.

The agency said the truck, conveying a 40-foot container, became trapped after its front tyre slipped into a roadside gutter, with preliminary findings pointing to reckless driving as the likely cause of the accident.

To minimise traffic disruption, LASEMA, in collaboration with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), diverted motorists while its heavy-duty recovery equipment, Super Metro, evacuated the truck from the road.

The vehicle was subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police, with no injuries or fatalities recorded.

Commending the emergency responders, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, praised the professionalism and effective inter-agency collaboration that ensured both incidents were successfully managed without loss of life.

He said the operations underscored the effectiveness of Lagos State’s emergency response system and the government’s continued investment in emergency equipment, personnel training and operational coordination.

Oke-Osanyintolu also urged motorists to obey traffic regulations and avoid reckless driving, while advising business owners to strengthen fire safety measures within their premises to reduce the risk of future incidents.