An inferno on Wednesday evening ravaged the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House, a high-rise commercial complex on Martins Street, Lagos Island, with several traders reportedly trapped inside.
Emergency operations have however continued for the rescue of those trapped and to put out the fire.
The inferno, which broke out around 5:00 p.m., swept through sections of the multi-storey structure, widely used as a warehouse and retail hub for clothing materials.
Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said preliminary findings indicated that the fire originated from an office on the fourth floor before rapidly spreading to other levels of the building.
Oke-Osanyintolu said,
“Upon arrival of the Shark Response Team, a 22-storey building known as Great Nigeria Insurance House was found to have been engulfed by fire.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire started from one of the offices on the fourth floor and quickly spread to other floors. As of now, the number of casualties cannot be ascertained, as rescue and firefighting operations are still ongoing.”
Emergency responders reportedly arrived to meet an already raging inferno, with flames extending to upper floors, complicating rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said there were no confirmed casualties as of the latest update.
The agency’s Director, Margaret Adeseye, noted that the fire had spread up to the fifth floor but was being actively combated.
“The affected building is mainly used for warehouse storage and the sale of clothing materials, with some corporate offices and shops within the premises.
“There is no record of casualties at this time,” she said.
Firefighters and emergency personnel remain on the scene as operations continue, while residents and passersby are advised to steer clear of the area to allow rescue and containment efforts proceed without obstruction.
