Lagos has reported 1,642 fire outbreaks and N14.62 Billion lost in 2023.
Newsonline Nigeria reports that there were 1,642 cases of fire outbreak in Lagos State in two-quarters of January to June, 2023, with 42 persons killed.
There were also 177 persons were rescued from the fire disasters but with a financial loss of N14.62 billion.
In a mid-year report, the Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, explained that out of the 1,462 emergencies attended to, fire disasters ranked highest, with 924 incidents in different parts of the state.
He said 92 emergencies on rescue were recorded, 41 on salvage, three on explosion, and two on building collapse, while 400 false calls were received.
Adeseye, in a statement by the agency’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Agboola Ololade, said “The estimated properties saved is about N87.72 billion, leaving the properties loss to N14.62 billion.
“Fire incidences increased indiscriminately from the same period compared to the previous year.”
“Investigations revealed that carelessness and negligence were the major causes of the disaster. There was an increase in unfavorable calls that keep occurring due to the change of strategy in the attendance to distress calls without double-checking for false calls.”
