PEOPLES GAZETTE.
Disaster was averted on Monday as a fire broke out during the demolition of shanties by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) at Breadfruit Street in Lagos Island Market.
The general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, alongside a joint task force, had issued a 14-day ultimatum on traders to remove all extensions on road setbacks.
The joint team comprising six agencies was led by the commissioner for physical planning and urban development, Oluyinka Olumide.
The joint operation was against building collapse, traffic congestion, street trading and environmental infractions
While the team was going round the market to make announcements on the ultimatum, Mr Oki directed the LASBCA enforcement team to continue the ongoing removal of shanties on Breadfruit Street.
The removal of shanties on the street began after the Mandilas Market ten-storey building fire incident of Jan. 21.
Mr Oki called the attention of the team to an emergency situation opposite the popular Bread Fruit House in Balogun Market.
He raised the alarm over several generators on the extended first floor of Bolashudun House on Breadfruit Street, covering a PHCN transformer mounted on the ground floor.
He directed his team to remove the generators from the first floor, using earth-moving equipment to lower the generators to the ground.
The team successfully lowered a large Mikano Generator before lowering the smaller ones.
However, upon completion of the exercise, the team moved to the next street when a fire burst out from one of the generators, causing pandemonium.
Mr Oki led the enforcement team to rush back at the billowing smoke to pull a medium-sized burning generator with a crane away from the transformer and other bigger generators.
They subdued the fire, totally putting it out using a crane, and a sympathiser later emerged with a fire extinguisher.
The general manager said that all generators must be removed…
