Ipaja Power Transmission Station Gutted By Fire

A power transmission station based in Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, was gutted yesterday morning by fire which raged on for hours heightening fears of likely power outage in Ikeja and its environs.

Eyewitnesses said the cause of the fire which began around 11: am was unknown. The inferno consumed a massive transmission station belonging to Transisco Power Company.

“We don’t know the cause of the fire but it started shortly before the rains began. The fire was so massive that even the fire services were unable to bring it under control,” an eyewitness said.

It was also gathered that efforts of the Lagos State Fire Service (LSFC) at taming the fire was unsuccessful forcing the team to withdraw after 30 minutes. The heavy downpour also could not stop the inferno which eventually subsided around 3pm.

Meanwhile, a source at the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Ikeja District, said the fire incident might likely disrupt distribution of electricity in Ikeja and environs.

“The fire happened at a transmission station; we at the distribution end of it are waiting for proper briefing on the extent of damage and how much it will affect power distribution in Ikeja and environs. But take this from me, it will definitely affect power distribution, but we just don’t know the extent,” the source said.