Fire Guts Nine Shops At Ibadan Railway Shopping Complex

Nine lock-up shops have been destroyed in a fire at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex along the Aleshinloye Market road in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The fire broke out early on Saturday and damaged goods, household items and shop equipment worth millions of naira before firefighters brought it under control.

Oyo fire officials said the agency received a distress call at 5:58 a.m. and sent firefighters to the scene. The chairman of the Oyo Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, said a second fire truck with a 10,000-litre water capacity was later deployed as reinforcement.

Akinwande said the crew found nine shops already on fire, with thick smoke coming from the affected section of the complex. He said firefighters stopped the flames from spreading to other shops in the area.

One affected trader, Busari Olayemi, said people living around nearby quarters alerted shop owners to the fire. He said his interior decoration business lost window blinds, curtain fabrics, industrial sewing machines and other equipment.

Premium Times reported that the fire was attributed to an electric surge. No death was reported in the incident.

Sources: Punch, Premium Times