At least one dead in Lagos fireworks blaze
LAGOS — Fire tore through a crowded neighbourhood of Nigeria's largest city of Lagos on Wednesday, killing at least one person and injuring 30 others after a huge explosion rocked a building storing fireworks.
The blast and fire led to panic in the densely packed area of Lagos, a city of some 15 million people, with residents jumping from windows to flee and others salvaging goods from their shops in the neighbourhood's large market.
Fireworks continued to explode well after the fire began while smoke was heavy and the blaze intense, making it difficult for rescue workers and firefighters to approach the scene.
Huge crowds gathered in the area, including onlookers and those seeking to help.
Three tankers at the scene from the fire service later ran out of water and an emergency official said military personnel had been called in to help. More water arrived later in the day and the blaze appeared to be gradually subsiding.
Officials said the inferno appeared to have started at a warehouse storing fireworks, where a major explosion shook parts of the sprawling city, Nigeria's commercial hub.
"We pulled out a body from the building," said Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
An emergency source said initial reports indicated that fire caused the explosion, but an official statement from NEMA later said the precise cause was yet to be determined.
The fire spread following the explosion, with at least nine buildings in the neighbourhood ablaze when an AFP journalist arrived at the scene.
A school across from the warehouse was badly damaged from the blast, with windows shattered and materials inside affected. Cars in the neighbourhood were gutted.
Residents rushed to help firefighters, bringing containers of water and helping carry hoses, but the volatile situation made it difficult.
"We have treated up to 30 people so far," Red Cross worker Nicolas Adesile told AFP at the scene.
One man treated for a cut on his leg said he jumped from his building to escape.
"I had to jump from the first floor to save my life," Wasiu Olaleye said.
Officials were seeking to confirm further details on the incident, with the force of the explosion so strong that rumours even spread over whether there had been a plane crash.
"While security agencies would investigate and determine the real cause of the explosion and fire outbreaks, casualty figures are yet to be determined," NEMA said in a statement.
"But some residents who were injured while attempting to assist in putting off the fire have been taken to hospital for treatment."
Rescue workers had difficulty reaching the scene due to traffic and crowds. Residents reported hearing the explosion and running, with some helping fetch water.
Wednesday was a public holiday in Nigeria, though some shops in the area were open.
"We just heard 'bwaahhh!' and before we knew it we saw fire coming from the building," said one man who had been on his nearby balcony.
The incident occurred in Jankara, home to a large market and located in the Lagos Island area, among the oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods in the city.
Fireworks are popular in Nigeria during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation with some 160 million people, and Lagos is considered the continent's second-largest city after Cairo.
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At least one person has been killed and at least thirty were injured as the result of a fire in the city of  in Nigeria after an explosion in a building with fireworks stored in it. As many as nine other buildings in the  fire yesterday were also impacted by the flames, according to authorities. The fire was reportedly the cause of the explosion, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Some local residents reportedly jumped out of the windows of buildings in fright in the large commercial area of Jankara. One man, Wasiu Olaleye, required treatment for a cut to his leg because "I had to jump from the first floor to save my life", he said. Some local businesses were open when the incident occurred, but yesterday was a .

A school located in close proximity to the warehouse was significantly damaged in the incident. Numerous vehicles in the area were completely burnt out by the fire. The windows of several nearby buildings were also destroyed as the fire caused the windows of houses a few miles away to shake. Thick smoke was also sighted above Lagos.

Crowds of thousands of nearby people accumulated near the fire, with spectators and individuals intending to assist or gain information about relatives amongst them. Three fire service tanker vehicles attended the scene, but used up all their water supplies. Some people in the crowd attempted to assist fire crews with holding fire hoses and gathering water-filled containers. Some of these people were taken to hospital for treatment after experiencing injuries. One official reported military assistance was used. Additional water arrived later, as the severity of the fire slowly decreased.

The large crowds were part of the reason it took around an hour for fire service members to reach the scene of the fire. News agency '''' was told by a government official that the possibility of further explosions from fireworks also interfered with the fire service's rescue operation. "It's very dangerous for the firemen to go in, because the government don't want any of these men to be injured", they said.

Ibrahim Farinloye from the National Emergency Management Agency reported one fatality to '''' (AFP), saying: "We pulled out a body from the building". Nicolas Adesile, of the Red Cross, told the same news agency that as many as thirty people have been treated thus far.


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