Emergency responders are battling a fire outbreak at the Great Nigeria Insurance House, a 22-storey commercial building on Martins Street, Lagos Island.
The fire reportedly broke out around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday in the building, which is largely used as a warehouse for clothing materials, alongside offices and shops.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said preliminary investigations showed that the fire started from an office on the fourth floor before spreading to other levels.
“On arrival, our team found the building engulfed in flames. The fire originated from one of the offices on the fourth floor and rapidly spread to other parts of the structure,” he said.
LASEMA’s Shark Response Team noted that the fire spread upwards to about the sixth floor, while firefighting and rescue operations were still ongoing at the time of reporting.
However, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said no casualties had been recorded. Its Controller-General, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed that the fire affected up to the fifth floor and originated from that level before spreading.
“The affected building is mainly used for warehouse storage and the sale of clothing materials, with some corporate offices within the premises. There has been no record of casualties so far,” Adeseye said.
Emergency officials added that investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing as efforts continue to fully contain the blaze.
