A 22-storey building housing Great Nigeria Insurance on Martins Street, Lagos Island, was engulfed by fire on Wednesday, prompting emergency response and panic in the area.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Lagos.
Oke-Osanyintolu said preliminary reports indicated that the fire originated from an apartment on the fourth floor and later spread to the sixth floor before emergency responders arrived to contain it.
“The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Investigations will commence after firefighting operations are concluded,” he said.
He added that the number of casualties could not be immediately ascertained as rescue and containment efforts were still ongoing.
Six fire trucks and a skylift were deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading further, Oke-Osanyintolu said, noting that emergency teams were working under challenging conditions due to the building’s height.
Responders at the scene included LASEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, and the Police. Other agencies involved were the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, the Red Cross, and LRU Paramedics.
The permanent secretary also disclosed that the LRU Fire unit had been activated to strengthen firefighting operations.
“Recovery operations are currently in progress. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” Oke-Osanyintolu added.
