Nigeria, Jan. 2 -- At least three major markets in Lagos have been affected by separate fire outbreaks within one week during the Yuletide season, causing heavy losses to traders and renewing concerns over fire safety in the state's major commercial centres.

The latest incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when a fire gutted several shops in a storey shopping complex beside Ikotun Roundabout, Lagos State.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday. Its Director, Margaret Adeseye, said the agency received a distress call at about 12:22 a.m., while firefighters arrived at the scene 10 minutes later.

According to her, the fire involved a storey building shopping complex comprising...