Badagry fire destroys 3 buildings, claims 1 life
“The two vehicles had been loaded; it was when they were about to go that one of the cars caught fire and exploded. It also affected the second car while the drivers escaped before the angry mob in the village could catch them."
A 25-year-old man was electrocuted while three buildings, including a church, were burned down on Tuesday evening in a fire that occurred in a Badagry community.
The fire broke out when one of two Camry cars loaded with polythene bags containing petrol exploded in the Gbaji community in Badagry.
A reliable source told the newsmen that the fire started at 5:30 p.m. after smugglers of petrol loaded the vehicles with the product, which they wanted to take across the border for sale.
"The community is near the river, so they use boats to bring the petrol, which is loaded inside vehicles before being taken to Benin Republic through the Gbaji-Owode road.
"The two vehicles had been loaded; it was when they were about to go that one of the cars caught fire and exploded."
"It also affected the second car while the drivers escaped before the angry mob in the village could catch them."
"The fire outbreak affected the 33-kva pole, and one of the high-tension wires dropped and fell on a man who was at the site of the explosion."
"He was electrocuted immediately and gave up the ghost on the way to the general hospital in Badagry.
"Two buildings and one church were completely burnt down by the inferno," the source who sought anonymity said.
Scene of the fire outbreak in Gbaji community along Badagry-Seme expressway, Badagry.
Confirming the incident, Mr. Abel Wusu, the officer in charge of Badagry Fire Service, said that the fire outbreak was reported at the station at 5:57 p.m.
"Yesterday, we received a fire call at 5:57 p.m. on the fire outbreak at the Gbaji community along the Badagry-Seme expressway.
"Getting to the scene, we discovered it was a fire incident involving two Camry cars that were fully loaded with petrol in polythene bags.
"We did our best, and the fire was extinguished at exactly 7:12 p.m.; however, the fire had affected two buildings and one church.
"The two buildings contained four rooms apartments while the other is just two rooms.
" We heard that a man was electrocuted by the high tension wire that cut during the inferno.
"They said he gave up the ghost on the way to the hospital," he said.