A foam manufacturing company located on Oyedele Street, off Liasu Road, in the Ikotun area of Lagos State, was razed by fire in the early hours of Tuesday.
Some residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained.
NAN reports that the fire completely destroyed the factory and damaged the roof of a nearby storey building before firefighters contained the blaze and prevented it from spreading further.
However, no casualty was recorded.
According to residents, the fire started between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Mrs Victoria Oto, a resident living beside the factory, said a woman bathing her children in the compound raised the alarm.
She said the alert prompted residents to flee their homes as repeated explosions were heard from the factory.
“It was a woman bathing her children in our compound who alerted us to the fire, and we all rushed out.
“The fire quickly spread to the roof of the building beside the company and affected some rooms upstairs.
“It would have been a different story if firefighters had not succeeded in putting out the fire,” she said.
Residents said emergency responders arrived almost two hours after the fire started.
Some alleged that although calls made to the 112 emergency line connected, there was no immediate response.
Mr John Bassey, another resident, said he noticed the fire at about 5:55 a.m. and promptly called the emergency number.
“I see no reason why an emergency number will not respond promptly to callers. What if lives had been lost before responders arrived?” he said.
Bassey said some residents also reported the incident through the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service X handle.
An elderly resident, Mrs Agnes Oyeleke, urged the Lagos State Government to stop approving chemical-related industries within residential neighborhoods.
“We are yet to recover from the explosions during the fire.
“They deal with chemicals because they produce foam.
“We cannot continue to live like this. The government must do the needful to ensure such companies do not operate in residential areas,” she said.
NAN reports that officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps and police officers from the Nigeria Police Force were at the scene. (NAN)
