A massive fire ripped through sections of the Alaba International Market in Lagos on Tuesday evening, destroying scores of shops and sparking panic among traders.
Videos from a live TikTok stream by user KB Clothings showed plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky as helpless shop owners watched their investments go up in flames.
Many traders were seen weeping uncontrollably, while others frantically tried to salvage their goods before the fire spread further.
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Personnel from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were deployed to the scene and worked tirelessly to bring the blaze under control.
Eyewitnesses reported that several locked shops and warehouses were completely consumed by the fire.
Some traders blamed the market’s security guards for what they described as a delayed response when the incident first broke out.
