Words: Adedosu 'kenzy' Adekunle
Yesterday Sunday March 27, 2011 is that a fire outbreak has occurred at The Balmoral premises located on Oregun road, Ikeja where the City People Awards was being held.
The fire which started at about 4:05pm shortly after the event kicked off. A caterer who was trying to light the liquid-spirit used to heat the food that was to be served at the event mistakenly lit her dress on fire.
She hurriedly removed the skirt throwing it into the air, but it got in contact with the canopy, which served as an overhead covering at the premises. Efforts to quench the fire with an extinguisher proved abortive as the extinguisher’s gas only made matters worse as it accelerated the fire outbreak.
Celebrities and guests scampered all around as they rushed towards the nearest exit, which was difficult to see as the whole premises was filled with smoke.
Cars that were parked inside the premises were abandoned by their owners as they ran for their lives but rescuers managed to break into the cars by smashing the side glasses and wheeling them out to safety.
By the time the Fire Service men arrived, it was too late to salvage anything but they were able to stop the fire from extending to the next hall, we gathered.We learnt that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who had just arrived at the scene when the fire started, upon seeing the developing crisis made a u-turn and left the area immediately.
Management of The Balmoral and City People declined to any media comments
We also gathered that it was only the caterer and a Lagos State Television (LTV) staff that sustained injuries. Property worth 50 million naira was lost in the newly renovated hall.
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