Balogun Market fire disaster: Traders count losses

Balogun Market fire disaster: Traders count losses

 

Few hours after the combined emergency team put out the blazing fire at Balogun Market, Lagos State, which razed 10 buildings, 100 shops and makeshift structures within the axis, traders have continued to count their losses.

The fire, which started in the early hours of Monday, was finally put out yesterday.

Some property affected were OK Plaza on 44, Balogun Street; Rich Plaza, also on the same Balogun Street; Global Plaza, on 42, Balogun Street, Onikoyi and the building on 38, Balogun Street.

‘I couldn’t save my goods’ Mrs. Vera Ezenwa, one of the traders, who lost everything in her shop, said: “I could not salvage my goods from the inferno. I deal in shoes and bags. I own shop 35 in Rich Plaza.”

Pointing to her shop, she said: “That is where I displayed my goods last week. They are all gone.

“I received a call at 5a.m., this morning (yesterday) that my shop and  my warehouse had been gutted by fire. And I quickly rush down here to
salvage some of the goods, but when I arrived, I could not salvage any.

“These were the goods my husband, who went to China last year, sent to me two weeks ago. I cannot believe that all the goods he sent last week are all gone. I wish I was able to save some of the goods.”

Where are my goods, others ask For 60-year-old Mrs. Rafat Adeyemo and Mr. Chukwu Azubuike, bothtraders, the incident was like a Nollywood movie. They could notbelieve that their goods were gutted by fire.

Adeyemo said: “Where is my goods and shop? That shop was my source of income. I do not understand why fire would gut my shop at this time. I need to see my goods. I wish I was informed on time to salvage whatever I could. But I was unable to achieve that.”

Narrating his ordeal, Azubuike said: “I was one of the traders displaced by the Tejuosho inferno. My goods were razed.
“Just like how Tejuosho fire disaster razed my warehouse few years ago, this inferno has again dealt another blow on me. I wish I could rewind the hand of clock.”

Traders blame council chairman

Traders at the popular market, yesterday, blamed the former Lagos Island council chairman for the delay in putting out the fire.

Mr. Obinna Chukwu, a trader, who said he lost everything, said: “The former council chairman erected Klee-Clamps on the setbacks available within the market.
“And these structures affected the emergency teams from getting to the source of the fire.

“I wish the governor would come and see how the council chairman havedestroyed the market master plan.”