Another fire outbreak has started at Mandilas Market on Lagos Island today. This is a different fire outbreak from the major fire that occurred there in January 2024 which destroyed hundreds of shops and displaced thousands of traders due to careless welding during generator installation. The current blaze started in a showroom at Central Plaza near the market and has spread to multiple floors, including parts of the main Mandilas building, with traders attempting to salvage goods worth millions of naira. No casualties have been reported so far, and firefighters from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, along with federal teams, are on site working to contain it.

This follows an earlier fire today at the nearby Afriland Tower (also on Broad Street, housing UBA offices), which originated in the basement inverter room and trapped workers but was brought under control without fatalities. The proximity of these incidents has heightened panic in the area, but the Mandilas fire is being treated as a separate event, with an unknown cause under investigation. Eyewitness videos show thick smoke and flames engulfing shops, primarily affecting Igbo-owned businesses.