Fire guts ship at Kirikiri Canal

2026-03-04 - 19:37

By Florence Nwabueze Panic gripped workers and residents around Kirikiri Canal, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday after a fire broke out aboard a ship undergoing maintenance, leaving one person severely injured. Eyewitnesses said the vessel was docked for routine repairs when sparks from welding operations ignited inflammable materials on board, triggering a blaze that sent thick smoke billowing into the sky. The ship, used to transport diesel from offshore locations to shore facilities as well as food supplies to workers at sea, was said not to be in active service at the time of the incident. One of the workers, identified simply as Mr Ade, sustained serious injuries in the fire and was immediately evacuated to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Apapa, for treatment. An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Bukahid said he rushed to the scene around 3:30 p.m. after hearing a loud bang. “They were welding on the ship when the fire broke out. We quickly moved to rescue Mr Ade, who was caught in the blaze, and took him to the hospital,” he said. Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) swiftly mobilised to the scene, battling the flames for hours before successfully extinguishing the fire around 6:00 p.m., preventing further casualties and damage. The cause of the incident had yet to be officially confirmed as at press time.