Fire Guts 22-storey Great Nigeria House in Lagos Island [PHOTOS]

Hundreds of tenants and traders wept on Monday as fire engulfed the Great Nigeria House, Martins Street, Lagos Island, which served as their offices and warehouses.

The fire brought commercial activities in popular Balogun market to a standstill.

Many of the traders were seen scrambling to salvage their goods from the burning building.

According to a witness, the fire started at about 5.00 a.m. and was first noticed on the first floor. He said that as at 10:30 a.m., the fire had taken over the first four floors.

The witness said that the Federal Fire Service was quick to respond to the distress call of traders; however, lack of adequate access to the building hampered the activities of the firemen

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Fire guts 150 shops in Anambra

About 150 shops were on Thursday gutted by fire at Ekwulobia Main Market in Anambra State.

The fire affected mainly the electronics market, where traders lost inestimable goods and cash.

The cause of the fire had yet to be known, but it was learnt that it started about noon.

As of 5pm, rescuers were still trying to salvage some goods from the remains of the fire.

Eyewitnesses said fire fighters came late to the scene. Our correspondent gathered that the fire service from Awka, rather than the one at Ekwulobia, responded to distress calls.

The President General of Ekwulobia Traders Allied Workers Association Ikechukwu Ezeokeke and Chairman of the Electronics line Ekwulobia, Frank Timothy, lamented the huge loss the traders incurred.

A victim, John Chetachukwu, said, “I am a confused person now and I can’t answer your questions.

“My shop got burnt completely. I was in my house when the youths came to bring me to this place around 4pm. I saw the inferno and I was speechless.

“Although I lost everything but I thank everybody including the DPO Ekwulobia and many others for rallying around us.”

Another victim, Kingsley Osedume, said he could not salvage a pin and his shop was the only source of the extended family income and called for help.

For Richard Okoli, who deals on interior decoration, said he just came back with goods worth over N600,000 from the market yesterday which were razed.

The Local government Chairman, Mr. Titus Anigbogu consoled the traders and assured them he would table their situation to the state government for appropriate actions.

Small helicopter crashes in downtown Honolulu, USA

Kiyo: A small helicopter lost power and came crashing down on a busy downtown Honolulu Street Wednesday afternoon, but no one was seriously injured, authorities said.

"It's a pretty miraculous situation that no one was badly hurt by this," said Capt. Terry Seelig, a spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department. "This is a pretty busy area."

The helicopter was on a photography flight when it lost power, forcing a crash landing on Fort Street, which is home to a large apartment complex and Hawaii Pacific University. The area is usually full of university students and downtown office workers, and has a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Preliminary information indicates the Robinson R22 Beta had an engine failure, said Allen Kenitzer, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

5 women die in limousine fire on California Bridge

Kiyo: A limousine traveling on a major bridge in the San Francisco Bay area burst into flames, killing five female passengers who were trapped inside and injuring four others who escaped, authorities said Sunday.

The limo was carrying nine female passengers and a male driver when it caught fire late Saturday on the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel told The Associated Press.

Five occupants became trapped while four others suffered injuries but managed to get out after the vehicle came to a stop on the bridge, the patrol said. The driver escaped uninjured.

Officer Montiel said that the victims were all in their 30s. Authorities said the names of the dead would be released once families have been notified.

The blaze occurred around 10 p.m. on westbound lanes of the bridge, which connects San Mateo and Alameda counties, about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco.

The patrol said that smoke started coming out of the rear of the limo, and the driver pulled over as the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. Officers were trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which wasn’t the result of an accident.

“We have no idea right now where they were going or where they were coming from,” CHP Officer Amelia Jack told KGO-TV.

Fire guts Alade Market in Ikeja

Kiyo: One of the Lagos State popular markets, Alade Market, Ikeja, was on Sunday engulfed in flames.

Although the cause of the inferno could not be established as of press time, eyewitnesses told our correspondents that the fire was extensive.

Alade is popular in Lagos for its bureau-de-change activities and boutiques.

Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that officials of the service were battling to put out the fire.

He said, “We got a distress call this evening that Alade Market was on fire. We have deployed a team from Alausa station to the place. The fire is extensive, but as I am talking to you, we are working hard to put it out.”

Filo: At least the Fire Service did not complain of shortage of water.

Culled from Punch