The Lagos State Government has suspended commercial activities in the Central part of the state.
This followed a fire incident which engulfed a section of the Idumota Market in the area.
The fire, which started in the early hours of Tuesday, already brought down two buildings even as goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Areas affected include Dosumu, Nnamdi Azikwe, Moshalashi, Woro Pedro, Obanikoro. Others are Ago Tawa, Idumagbo Avenue, Idumagbo, Ido-Oluwo and Oju Olobun.
Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Central Business District, Bola Lawal said the measure became necessary to prevent loss of life and maintain peace and order in the area.
In a statement, Lawal stressed that market women and men in the area should make way for emergency responders to effectively perform their duties.
A total of four buildings have collapsed due to the intensity of the fire that engulfed part of Dosunmu Market on Lagos Island on Tuesday.
Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said 14 other buildings were seriously impacted by the inferno.
Farinloye said the cause of the fire, according to sources, could be attributed to the refueling of a running generator at the market, which resulted to fire that could not be contained.
Emergency responders at the scene of the event included NEMA, Federal and State Fire Services, the Nigeria Police and fire service of the Nigeria Ports Authority.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the Agency responded to the scene of the incident and that upon arrival, it was discovered that a multiple buildings-two-storey building, a structure beside and two three-storey buildings behind were engulfed by fire.
He said further investigation conducted revealed that the immediate cause of the inferno was from a shop where machine oil was being sold, saying that a generator was being refueled and it then caught fire.
“Unfortunately, the generator that caught fire was thrown into other side of the road causing fire on a large scale such that the effects have started causing collapse of about two buildings.
“Three casualties are receiving treatment from agency paramedics. The emergency responders are currently combating the fire so as to mitigate the inferno from spreading to other buildings.
“The Shark team, LRU paramedics, Lagos state fire and rescue service, LASAMBUS officials, LNSC officials, CBD crew and Nigeria police force are joint responders presently at the incident scene,” he said.