Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
[wysija_form id=”1″]April 27, 2015 – Not less than 550 people have been confirmed dead as properties worth about N200. 59 billion were destroyed by fire in the last five years in Lagos State.
A breakdown of the figure shows that properties worth about N91.6 billion were destroyed in the year 2011, N70.71 billion in 2012, N15.26 billion in 2013, N16,92 billion in 2014 while properties worth about N6.1 billion were destroyed between January and March 2015.
Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Mohammed-Bello Oyinlomo Danmole made the clarifications at a press briefing in Lagos.
He said that properties worth N654.878 were saved in the last five years in a ratio of N247.3 billion in 2011, N161.19 billion in 2012, N99.26billion in 2013, N101.52 billion in 2014 and N36.6 billion between January and March 2015.
He said that a total of 6,541 fire calls were received in the last four years while 397 of these were rescue calls. He said 59 buildings collapsed in the last five years, 498 people rescued alive, while 550 dead bodies were recovered.
He said that in the period under review, hazard allowance for firemen was review upward from N800 to N5,000 monthly but that operational firemen have other allowance which he did not disclosed but that all staff of the Lagos State Fire Service receive the N5,000 monthly hazard allowance.
Danmole said besides the allowance, firemen in the state have life insurance cover adding that the state fire service ranks as the best throughout the federation.
He said that in recognition of the huge population of the state and attendant risks, the state government has intensified investment in firefighting and prevention through the provision of modern equipment, capacity building for its offices and construction of additional fire stations in some parts of Lagos.
