Eyewitnesses have told FIJ that the Dosunmu Market fire in Lagos Island, Lagos State, which led to the collapse of nearly 20 buildings in the market, was started by a generator accident.

When FIJ visited the market on Monday afternoon, one week after the fire accident of April 9, sources who asked not to be named said that the fire had started from a two-storey building in the Eko Idumota Market.

The inferno cleared a few streets, including the street where it began.

“The fire was started accidentally by an apprentice who wanted to fuel his boss’ generator while it was running upstairs. His boss sold cap downstairs,” one of the eyewitnesses told FIJ.

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“The apprentice poured the fuel into the generator set but failed to turn it off before doing so. This was the norm in that place, but that day, it went out of control and the action immediately caused a fire.

“Unfortunately, on the same floor, there was a store packed with fuel. People tried to save the floor from the fire by throwing down the kegs of fuel.

“They threw them down just so the fire wouldn’t become uncontrollable; however, this made things worse because everywhere the fuel went, the fire followed.

“In quick succession, several buildings were already caught in the fire, and as of today, over 22 buildings have been affected by the inferno, contrary to what the government is telling the media. The fire was moving at the speed of lightning. Seventeen buildings were burnt, while five buildings collapsed. Some buildings are still weak.”

The eyewitness said the losses ran into trillions of naira.

“The people who trade here are millionaires. They are naturally influential people with a lot of wealth. One person, whom I used to work with until the fire, had a shop worth over N500 million, and there were several of them, running into hundreds like that.

“Another person I know, whose store the fire destroyed completely, had just stocked up her shop a day before the incident. She had offloaded goods from four big containers the day before, and everything got burnt.

“The people who lost things in the fire sold different things. Some sold tailoring materials, sewing machines, precious stones, underwears, perfumes, body lotions and other goods. The extent of damage can actually make one depressed forever.

“That day, we entered the fire in an attempt to save some people’s goods. Those who did not lose anything are really few because more than 1000 people or more were affected. The number is this high because the market used to be really crowded and people would optimise every small space they could find.”

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According to the source, the boy who started the fire didn’t survive the accident. He had been badly burnt before people could get to him.

“His death is the only one I can confirm because his body was already burnt before help got to him. People rushed him out, but he didn’t survive it,” he said.

“However, more people who didn’t get into the fire may still die because of the depression from all they have lost. Some people lost their entire life investments here.”

FIJ observed that the fire had not completely been doused as smoke came from some part of the rubble. FIJ also saw some fire service men on site, who worked within the part of the area marked off as inaccessible to the public.

“Till Sunday, the fire service was still coming to douse out the fire. It kept burning low,” said the eyewitness.

FIJ also noted that most of the store extensions lining the market had been pulled down and had created a mess on the streets, complementing the dull, acrid smell hanging in the air as an aftermath of the fire.

“The government came to pull down the extensions themselves. They said they were what prevented the fire service trucks from accessing the scene of the fire on time,” another eyewitness told FIJ.

“This market, before the fire, used to be very crowded, and you would hardly have space to walk. People pressed into one another as they conducted their transactions, and free movement could be a bit difficult.

“Now, there is nothing like that anymore, as the extensions have all been taken out of the way.”

Speaking on government intervention, the sources said the government’s decision to shut down the market indefinitely would ruin the economy of the area.

“The government has now ordered the suspension of activities in the market. This is a good move, which will help them access the damage, but closing it down will ruin things,” said one of the eyewitnesses.

“Even if the government won’t compensate the traders who lost anything in the fire, they should at least rebuild the market within the shortest time so people can return to their businesses.

“Several people rely on the market for livelihood, and more people will die if nothing is done on time.”

FIJ found the residue of the fire that broke out in the same market on March 28. This fire was the second to break out in 2024.

More videos from the scene of the incident can be found here and here.