Lagos Fire: Fashola vows to deal with owner of stored fire crackers

Fireworks stored in the warehouse triggered the explosion in a commercial area of Jankara market and an 11 year old boy was confirmed dead at the site of fire cracker explosion which occurred at 9AM  at Oroyiyin\Jankara axis on Lagos Island.

The explosion and inferno set ablaze 15 other adjourning buildings and injured about 40 people. The explosion gutted buildings, cars and property at the Oroyiyin – Jankara axis on Lagos Island.

The Governor who visited the explosion site described the incident as “unfortunate” while he heaped blames on owners of the store for being reckless business owners.

“In order to make quick business, we have lost a life, we lost property and all of us are in danger” the governor said.

Mr Fashola noted that there must be a lot of soul searching and reflection and choices to be made for people to go on and he called on people to make the choice on safety in all they do while government invests in infrastructure.

Lagos state is one of the states that has banned the use of fire crackers , popularly called bangers during festivities and the governor lamented that “we make rules, we break them.”

“All of these items are under one form of prohibition or the other and we have men and women at our various entry and exit points”.

 “How did they get in?, how did they enter?, who shipped them?, who imported them and who cleared them?. Who approved them to come in. Those are very serious issues. We must also ask ourselves, must we do every business?”, he asked rhetorically.

Governor Fashola opined that all citizens must now lead by showing some commitment to their own safety, by giving a commitment that: “I will keep petrol away from my house, I will keep explosives away from my house. I will not make any illegal electrical connection. I will switch off all my electrical appliances before I leave home”.

He warned that if care is not taken, it may get to a situation where if the present trend continues, the strength of the state fire service would be overwhelmed.

He also appealed to residents in Lagos on safety practices especially during the dry season.