2024 tragedies: How generators, riot led to 4 market fires in Lagos

While food inflation in Nigeria rose to an all-time high of 40.1% according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the cost of petrol which naturally hikes other consumer goods is not helping. And amid this worrisome status quo, there seems to be another concerning trend in Lagos: market fires. In less than five months, the state has recorded at least four fire outbreaks with three of the disasters caused by the use of generator sets. Below is a list of Lagos market disasters recorded so far:

1. Mandilas

A massive fire broke out in a warehouse in the 14-storey Mandilas Building, Broad Street on Lagos Island area of Lagos on Sunday, January 21, with goods worth multi-million burnt to ashes.

The fire broke out from the building in the afternoon, but operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene around 1:15 pm.

Director, of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFR) Margaret Adeseye said on arriving at the scene, a warehouse in the 14-storey building was on f…