Breaking: 6 more deaths confirmed in Afriland Towers fire

The death toll in the Afriland Towers inferno has risen to 10 after United Capital Plc confirmed on Thursday that six of its staff died in the tragedy.

The confirmation comes barely 24 hours after the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) announced the loss of four officials in the fire that gutted the eight-storey building on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

The blaze, which started around 1:30 pm on Tuesday in the inverter room at the basement, spread quickly, filling the tower with thick smoke. Panicked workers were seen smashing windows in a desperate attempt to escape.

Emergency responders from the Federal Fire Service and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service managed to pull nine people out alive. Five were revived on the spot, while four others were rushed out unconscious.

United Capital, in a statement, described the deaths of its six employees as “a painful loss that leaves an immeasurable void,” adding that plans are underway to hold a memorial service for the victims.

Eyewitnesses insist “not everyone made it out alive,” even as officials are yet to release a full casualty figure. Attempts to reach the Lagos State Fire Service and emergency agencies for confirmation were unsuccessful at press time.