Fire disaster: Ambode commiserates with family of dead children

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday condoled with the family of the three children who lost their lives in the Isolo fire disaster, describing the incident as unfortunate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) reports that tragedy struck on Friday morning at about 2:30 a.m in the Mechanic Village area of Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos, when a fire ravaged some shops, vehicles, and burnt three sisters to death.

Ambode, who sent a delegation led by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Michael Ola-Dawodu, to the bereaved family, said that the loss of any life was always painful, how much more losing three kids to a preventable fire incident.

It is indeed an unfortunate incident and words cannot really express our sadness, as a government, over the loss of three innocent lives, who have become victims of an incident they know nothing about.
”It is indeed a pathetic situation and we can only express our condolence and commiserate with the bereaved family over this incident, ” he said

Ambode expressed his government’s worry over the frequent flouting of relevant environmental laws in the state.
According to him, it is the disobedience of the law banning sleeping in markets and shops that has led to the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of the sisters.

The governor warned residents of the state, especially market men and women, to desist from disobeying the laws.
He said that the full weight of the law would come to bear on anyone found flouting the laws banning sleeping in market places and other public facilities illegally.

The government is more resolved and will go to any length to ensure the safety of lives and properties in the state.
‘The death of these three children is avoidable, only if we as a people are determined to obey the laws and desist from sleeping in the markets or garages for whatever reason.

The government put these laws in place, not only to ensure sanity in the markets, but to prevent avoidable incidents such as this unfortunate one.

And in order for us to forestall a reoccurrence of incidents such as this, the laws must be enforced and offenders must face the music, ” he said-

Ambode urged Landlord Associations, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), as well as other owners of buildings and commercial properties, to ensure that they had detailed information about the users of their facilities and the nature of the businesses being done therein.

He also urged them to educate their tenants on the dangers of keeping combustive items and inflammable substances in their shops or residences.

Narrating the cause of the fire, Dr Razaq Fadipe, Director of the State Fire Services, said that a commercial bus loaded with kegs of petroleum products lost control and rammed into another stationary vehicle, resulting in a fire that spread to the shops and other vehicles around.

Fadipe said that the fire incident, which started at about 2.30a.m on Friday, completely razed about 12 lock-up shops and three commercial buses.

He said that three children, Christiana, 12; Feranmi, 8; and Pelumi, 6, of the same parents, burnt to death before help could come their way. (NAN)