JUST IN: Fire outbreak hits 22-storey building in Lagos

Photos and video from the scene of the fire. Credit: LASEMA

Emergency responders are currently battling a fire outbreak at a plaza known as the Great Nigeria Insurance House, located on Martins Street in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State.

The building, which serves as a warehouse for clothing materials, was said to have been engulfed by fire at about 5 p.m.

PUNCH Online learnt from the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, that the fire started from one of the offices located on the fourth floor.

According to the LASEMA PS, the fire, whose cause could not yet be ascertained, emanated from the fourth floor of the plaza before escalating to other floors.

He noted that the number of casualties could not be ascertained at the moment, as rescue operations were still ongoing.

Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “Upon arrival of the Shark Response Team at the scene, a 22-storey building (Great Nigeria Insurance House) was found to have been engulfed by fire.

“Preliminary investigation conducted by the Shark Response Team revealed that the fire started from one of the apartments on the fourth floor and quickly gained momentum, spreading to other parts of the floor and escalating upwards to the sixth floor within the 22-storey building.

“Currently, the number of casualties cannot be ascertained, as firefighting operations are still ongoing.”

Similarly, the Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said in a statement on Wednesday that no casualties had been recorded.

“The fire is currently affecting up to the fifth floor of a 25-storey building. It originated on the fifth floor and has spread downwards from that level.

“The affected building is primarily used for warehouse storage and the sale of clothing materials, with corporate offices and a few shops also located within the premises. There has been no record of casualties as firefighting continues,” Adeseye stated.