A 25-year-old man was electrocuted while three buildings, including a church, were burnt down on Tuesday evening in a fire that occurred in a Badagry community.

The fire broke out when one of two Camry cars loaded with polythene bags containing petrol exploded in the Gbaji community in Badagry.

A reliable source told journalists that the fire started at 5:30 p.m. after petrol smugglers loaded the vehicles with the product they wanted to take across the border for sale.

“The community is near the river, so they use a boat to bring the petrol while it is loaded inside vehicles before being taken to Benin Republic through Gbaji-Owode road.

“The two vehicles had been loaded, and it was when they were about to go one of the cars caught fire and exploded.

“It also affected the second car while the drivers escaped before the angry mob in the village could catch them.”

The source said a pole was affected, with one of the high-tension wires dropping on a man, who was immediately electrocuted.

“The inferno completely burned down two buildings and one church,” the source who sought anonymity said.

Confirming the incident, Mr Abel Wusu, the Officer in Charge of Badagry Fire Service, said the fire outbreak was reported at the station at 5:57 p.m.

“Yesterday, we received a fire call at 5:57 p.m. on the fire outbreak at Gbaji community along Badagry-Seme expressway.

“We did our best, and the fire was extinguished at exactly 7:12p.m, however, the fire affected two buildings and one church.

“The two buildings contained four rooms apartments while the other is just two rooms.

“We heard that a man was electrocuted by the high-tension wire that cut during the inferno,” he said. 

(NAN)