3 killed in Mile 12, Lagos inferno

Three persons were feared killed in a fire incident that occurred at the popular Mile 12 market in Ketu, Lagos State.
The incident happened barely 48 hours after some buildings of a paint manufacturing company, Finecoat, were razed by fire.
The Mile 12 inferno affected shops and offices, while burnt papers of the National Union of Road Workers (NURTW) were seen at the scene. Affected in all were 20 shops, five motorcycles, a car, three buses and two trucks.
According to a witness who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the fire started in the early hours of Friday and was believed to have been caused by stored petrol which caught fire.
A couple of other traders were also heard linking the development to petrol stored in polythene sacks.
But another account indicated that the fire started at an oil and fuel station located in the market.
According to the account, the fire was able to spread rapidly because the marketers had allegedly stored petroleum products in their shops.
Meanwhile, in the afternoon, fire fighting as well as rescue operations by men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Police Disaster Unit and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were ongoing.
However, the Area Commander of the Surulere Fire service station, Adeoye Olayiwola, said the fire was put out around 8:20am.