Lagos Confirms Containment Of Osapa Fire, Begins Recovery Of Fallen Truck At Costain Bridge
OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos
The Lagos State Government has confirmed the successful containment of a fire outbreak at Canal Estate in Osapa, Lekki, and ongoing recovery operations following a fallen articulated truck incident at Costain Bridge.
The government, through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said the swift emergency interventions helped prevent casualties and further damage in both incidents.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, the fire incident occurred in the early hours of May 7 at a five-bedroom duplex located at 55A Rasak Eletu Street, Canal Estate, Osapa, in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
The agency disclosed that its Sharks Response Team stationed at Admiralty Roundabout, Lekki, was mobilised through the state’s 767 and 112 emergency lines after distress calls were received.
Preliminary investigations conducted by LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service traced the cause of the inferno to a power surge from an air conditioning unit on the first floor of the building.
Emergency responders reportedly succeeded in extinguishing the fire without any loss of life or injuries.
Authorities, however, said the entire top floor and roof of the duplex were destroyed, while the ground floor was salvaged due to the rapid response of emergency teams.
The government added that coordinated containment efforts prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
Following the incident, visible cracks were observed on parts of the structure, prompting authorities to seal the building pending structural integrity tests by the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory and the Lagos State Building Control Agency.
In a separate development, LASEMA’s Cobra Response Team responded to a fallen articulated truck carrying a 40-foot container on Costain Bridge inward Costain.
The agency said preliminary findings indicated that the truck developed a mechanical fault while ascending the bridge, causing it to roll backwards and overturn, thereby blocking the route completely.
No casualties or injuries were recorded in the incident.
To ease traffic congestion along the corridor, LASEMA said it activated diversion measures in collaboration with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The agency noted that recovery operations involving a private forklift and LASEMA’s low-bed equipment were ongoing to remove the truck and restore normal traffic flow.
Speaking on the incidents, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, commended the professionalism and prompt response of all agencies involved.
He said the zero-casualty outcomes reflected the effectiveness of the state’s emergency response system, continuous personnel training, improved equipment and inter-agency collaboration under Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Oke-Osanyintolu also urged residents to regularly maintain electrical appliances and heavy-duty vehicles to prevent avoidable incidents, warning that power surges remain a major cause of fire outbreaks, particularly during periods of high electricity demand.
He advised residents around the affected Osapa property to comply with directives from building safety authorities, while motorists approaching Costain Bridge were urged to use alternative routes pending the completion of recovery operations.
