The Federal Government says it will begin an immediate assessment of damage caused by an early morning fire under Apongbon Bridge, Lagos, still raging as at the time of this report.
News Central Reporters who were at the scene on Wednesday, report that Lagos State and federal fire fighters were battling to stop the fire which cause is yet to be identified.
The officials used fire hoses to spray fire dousing chemicals on top of the bridge while they passed other hoses with water and other fire extinguishers to the bottom of the bridge.
Sympathisers joined in efforts under the bridge, using buckets of water and sand to tackle the fire spreading between shops.
Ibrahim Farinloye, South West Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, said the agency got a distress call about 6:00 a.m. and was able to immediately take control of the traffic situation.
Farinloye said it was difficult for the fire fighters to access the actual location of the fire under the bridge, as they battled it on all sides.
He said that no casualty had been reported, and gave the assurance that adequate security measures were being taken to prevent hoodlums from exploiting the situation to foment trouble.
The zonal coordinator also raised fears about the safety of the bridge; hence the closure for integrity tests.
He said that there was no fire on top of the bridge but noted that interventions on it by experts was to prevent the fire from spreading to buildings or wrecking havoc.
The Supervisor for Environment, Lagos Island Local Government, Audu Abdulrahim, said that the United Bank for Africa swung into action to tackle the fire before being joined by Lagos State and federal fire fighters.
Abdulrahim, accompanied by the Special Adviser to the council chairman on Wealth Creation, Ajenifuye Owolaje, said that officials of the council were on the ground to support in fighting the fire which was reported at 1.00 a.m.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukayode Popoola, told our correspondent on phone that officials of the Federal Ministry of Works were at the scene.
Popoola said that the bridge would be shut for immediate integrity tests after a joint inspection to be conducted by a team of engineers from Federal Ministry of Works and a team from Lagos State Ministry of Works, at 3:00 p.m.