Dare Babalola
A fire broke out at the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, leaving seven people with varying degrees of burns.
The injured have been hospitalised for treatment.
The fire reportedly affected several nearby structures, including the seven-storey Radio Nigeria building, the popular Oluwole Plaza, a mosque, and other adjoining buildings.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nosa Okunbor, confirmed the incident in an update released on Thursday.
The fire, which began around 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, reportedly originated from the fourth floor of the building before spreading to other floors.
In a public alert issued later that day, LASEMA urged residents and traders in the area to evacuate immediately as the fire spread.
Giving an update on Thursday, Okunbor disclosed that while the fire had been contained, seven people suffered varying degrees of burn injuries.
He added that five others experienced smoke inhalation and were treated immediately at the scene.
“The adjoining buildings in proximity to the high-rise have largely been salvaged, and coordinated efforts continue to ensure the inferno is completely extinguished,” he said.
“Seven adult males suffered varying degrees of burn injuries as a result of the inferno and were attended to by the agency’s paramedics before being taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.
“The seven-storey Radio Nigeria building opposite the Great Nigeria Insurance House has been safely extinguished by emergency responders, and dampening-down operations are ongoing.”
He concluded that the ongoing dampening operations aim to prevent the fire from reigniting.
