There was panic on Broad Street, Lagos Island, today, when fire broke out at Afriland Tower, a six-storey commercial building, forcing scores of occupants and passers-by to scamper for safety.
Occupants were seen in viral videos jumping out of a window in the building located in the Marina area of Lagos Island.
Other occupants were rescued by means of a ladder, as thick smoke billowed from the high-rise building.
Meanwhile, the Federal Fire Service, on Tuesday evening, said it had contained the fire outbreak, adding that its personnel remained on the ground to assess the structural safety of the building.
According to a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Controller Paul Abraham, the alarm was received at exactly 1:24p.m., prompting the immediate deployment of the White Watch and Campus units to the scene.
Where it started
Preliminary investigations revealed that the blaze started from the inverter room in the basement of the high-rise building, with smoke quickly spreading to other floors.
According to him, firefighters immediately commenced evacuation of occupants while launching operations to contain the inferno. Their swift response was credited with calming panic and preventing further escalation.
“As of the time of this release, our crews remain on ground to ensure complete extinguishment, continuous monitoring, and the structural safety of the building,” the statement noted.
The Service urged occupants to remain calm and cooperate with emergency responders while operations continue. It also commended members of the public for their cooperation during the exercise.
The FFS further appealed to Nigerians to remain vigilant and to promptly report fire emergencies by dialing the toll-free line 112 or calling 0803 200 3557.
“Early alerts save lives,” the agency reminded citizens.
Also, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said the incident was reported at exactly 1:38p.m., and fire crews from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu stations were immediately deployed to the scene.
Furthermore, Deputy Controller General of the agency, Ogabi Olajide, confirmed that the fire originated from the inverter room in the basement of the building before smoke quickly spread to other floors, engulfing the entire structure.
“Evacuation of occupants is in progress, while firefighting operations have been concluded, dousing the earlier panic before the arrival of the first responders,” Olajide said.
