By Bose Adelaja & Monsur Olowoopejo

No fewer than 23 persons were lost   while 10 persons suffered various degrees of injuries to various disasters which occurred in the South-west zone in the past three months.

Offficials of National Emergency management Agency

Also, about 200 fire incidents were jointly handled by fire fighters both at the states and federal level during this period.

The National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, South West zone who disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, said out of the figure, seven children including a six months old baby were lost to an inferno.

The Zonal Office which was reviewing its activities from March to June, 2015 made the disclosure saying two suicide attempts were also recorded during this period.

NEMA South-west Information Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye said out of the suicide attempts, one person who climbed a television mast was rescued alive while the other one had died before help could reach him.

He gave kudos to Lagos State Fire Service for effective use of the State-of-the Art fire appliances acquired by the state government, to attend to about five fire calls daily.

The   emergency management lamented that in the period under review, a fire fighter was lost in active service while trying to rescue a victim in a local well.

This incident according to NEMA, really dampened the morale, passion and spirits of the fire fighters being the first calamity among them.

The zone called on government to further equip the fire fighters, “The state government, which has always applauded the diligence of the service personnel, is passionately implored to kindly look into further welfare of the fire fighters.”

In furtherance, NEMA said a total of 1,675 houses and 317   shops were affected by fire and windstorm across the zone. “Out of these, about 989 houses and 219 shops were affected in Lagos while about 430 houses were recorded in Oyo state and 280 houses and 85 shops were affected by fire and windstorm in Ogun.”

Based on the development, NEMA has provided relief materials to victims of various disasters in 15 communities- namely Odofin, Agboju and Alakija in Amuwo Odofin LGA, Epe, Ogunmodede, Epetedo, Odo Iragbusi, Iraye, Poka and Ketu communities in Epe Local Government Area, Ijede, Imota and Ikorodu in Ikorodu Local Government Area; Ajara, Ibereko and   Kakoa in Badagry Local Government Area; while Iba, Obadore, Abule Ado, Ije Ododo and Okokomaiko in Ojo Local Government areas, relief materials were delivered to Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA, for distribution to the victims.

The victims of the windstorms and fire disasters in seven communities of Igboho in Oorelope Local Government Area; Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area; several communities in Afijio, Atiba and Oyo West Local Government Area have received through the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency.

In Ogun State, the victims of market fire at Igbo Aje market in Yewa South; Abeokuta South; Abeokuta North; Ayetoro and Topolo communities of Yewa North have received relief materials by NEMA through the Ogun State Emergency Management Agency. “NEMA is hereby appealing to Nigerians and corporate organisations to invest more in disaster risk reduction measures to secure their lives and property. Also, there is need for Nigerians to be more fire safety conscious in their course of their daily activities We should avoid leaving children alone in a locked-up apartment without neighbours having knowledge or access to the area in case of emergency. If we must use candle at any time, the elders must ensure that it is put off before leaving the place for children.”