Tears, agony as groundnut oil burns Lagos house to ashes

By Tobi Olajiga

The fire started around 1:00 p.m. after some children reportedly poured water in hot groundnut oil.

A woman was trying to fry something in groundnut oil in an apartment in Lagos when a fiery tragedy jumped in the mix.

“Fire! Fire! Fire! Help! Someone call 767!”

That was how the seeming peace, even amid ear-bombing music from loud speakers, that surrounded Pedro Compound in Shomolu on Tuesday afternoon was interrupted by the shouts for help.

The house looks "untouched" from outside but five of its rooms had been torched. — The house looks “untouched” from outside but five of its rooms had been torched.

The woman, NewsroomNG gathered, had put her frying pan on a lit stove and poured groundnut oil therein.

She wanted to “bleach” the oil before adding whatever she had in mind. But before she could do that…

“Some children mistakenly poured water into the hot oil,” an eyewitness told us.

A man stand amid the smouldering ashes after the flames were put out. — A man stands amid the smouldering rubble after the flames were put out.

And that was how the fire started. Yes, the dry harmattan weather is believed to have fuelled the fire reportedly ignited some minutes before 1:00 p.m.

Five rooms in the bungalow located at 20, Pedro Compound, Shomolu, were affected.

Residents said they called fire fighters who never showed up.

“Even if they did,” an eyewitness told us. “There would be no room for them to bring in their truck. This whole place is too tight for vehicles to move in.”

Parts of the building had to be demolished to stop the fire from spreading to neighbouring houses.

Some of the victims of the fire accident seem too devastated to talk.

A citizen reporter spotted a woman crying inconsolably. Another young man joined in the wailing.

One man was so devastated he said he didn’t want to speak with anyone. His face looked cold as he stared into a phantom distance with “bloodshot” eyes, an eyewitness told us.

We’re not sure if he, like some of the residents, was able to save any of his belongings from the fire.

In a bid to put out the flames, parts of the building that were not affected had to be demolished so the fire would not spread to surrounding houses.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths..