Nigeria, April 12, 2016 – Not less than 78 people have died from fire incidents, collapsed building and other accidents in the last three months in Lagos and Ogun State, the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) has said.
Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Southwest, Alh. Suleiman Yakubu who made the revelation in Lagos said the deaths occurred from fire incidents, boat mishaps, building collapses, deep well related accidents and intentional suicide.
He said that the losses in fire incidence are very staggering, noting that in Ogun state, losses in January alone was N33,000,000 while the Fire service saved properties worth N229,000,000 in 92 fire responses.
He noted that in February 2016, the losses rose astronomically to over two N241,700,000 while the fire service was able to save properties worth two billion, one hundred and fifty million, seven hundred thousand Naira in 82 fire incidents.
He described the statistics as very disturbing, adding that Nigerians as individuals and corporate organisations must do away with lukewarm attitude when it comes to personal safety.
He said that 9 people died in boat mishaps including 2 teenage girls while 18 others were rescued alive. He said that 6 people jumped into a deep well during the period.
“The period witnessed loss of seventeen lives in a single road crash along Ibadan-Lagos Expressway when a commercial bus rammed into a trailer. Six students of a tertiary institution were lost to road crash on their way to a professional conference along Ibadan-Oyo road’’, he said.
