December 25, (THEWILL) — Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, inspected the scene of the devastating fire outbreak that gutted the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street in Lagos Island.
The fire, which broke out at about 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24, left several people injured and destroyed parts of the high-rise building.
It reportedly started from the fourth floor of the building before spreading rapidly to other sections. Several neighbouring structures were also affected by the blaze, including the seven-storey Radio Nigeria building, Oluwole Plaza, a mosque and other adjoining properties within the busy commercial district.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Federal Fire Service and other allied agencies battled the inferno for more than 10 hours, with flames still visible into the early hours of Christmas Day.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s visit was confirmed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, who said the governor carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the situation as part of the state government’s coordinated emergency response.
A video shared by Akosile showed the governor walking through debris-laden streets alongside firefighters and emergency officials.
Providing an update on the incident, LASEMA’s spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, said the fire had been largely contained, while emergency teams continued dampening-down operations to prevent a possible resurgence.
According to Okunbor, seven adult males sustained varying degrees of burn injuries, while five others suffered smoke inhalation. He said all affected persons received immediate medical attention from emergency medical teams at the scene before being transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
Okunbor added that the Radio Nigeria building opposite the affected high-rise was successfully extinguished, while most adjoining buildings were salvaged through the swift and coordinated efforts of emergency responders.
The Lagos State Government assured residents and business owners in the area of continued support, noting that investigations would be carried out to determine the cause of the fire and assess the full extent of damage to affected properties.
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