Joint efforts prevented spread from Artistes’ Village, says LASEMA boss
The management of the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, yesterday, said the gas explosion, which occurred at the Theatre complex on Saturday night, was a minor setback that did not affect any part of the cultural edifice.”
The management, in a statement by Press Secretary to the General Manager of the Theatre, Olubunmi Adebimpe, said that the fire occurred in a remote area annexed to the theatre.
The management said: “The fire occurred at a remote area annexed to the National Theatre environment, formerly occupied by Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), around a portion of land called the Artistes’ Village.
“The area is miles away from the National Theatre main building, currently under rehabilitation.
“We also like to state that even in the area it occurred, there was no structural or human damage and none of the facilities are affected.”
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, had earlier said that quick intervention of the agency and other responders prevented the fire incident at the Artistes Village section of the National Theatre from spreading to the main theatre building.
Oke-Osanyintolu, who spoke, yesterday, at the scene of the fire incident, said that the agency received a distress call at 21:49 hours and activated the Lagos State Emergency Response Plan.
He, however, warned residents against illegal storage of gas at home, stating that the state government will not tolerate such.
According to him, no lives were lost and no injuries were sustained as a result of the incident.
He further said that the fire was brought under control by joint efforts of the responders, which include the LRT, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services and the Federal Fire Service.
He said the cause of the fire was not known yet, but gave the assurance that LASEMA and Lagos State Safety Commission would jointly investigate the cause to prevent a re-occurrence.
