Fire guts Lagos Island storey-building, traders trapped

A major fire outbreak on Wednesday evening gutted the Great Nigeria Insurance House, a multi-storey plaza located on Martins Street, Lagos Island, trapping several traders inside the building.

The fire, which reportedly started at about 5pm, affected the plaza used largely as a warehouse and sales centre for clothing materials.

Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the fire originated from an office on the fourth floor before spreading to other parts of the building.

According to him, emergency responders arrived to find the building already engulfed in flames, with the fire escalating to higher floors.

“Upon arrival of the Shark Response Team, a 22-storey building known as Great Nigeria Insurance House was found to have been engulfed by fire,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire started from one of the offices on the fourth floor and quickly spread to other floors. As of now, the number of casualties cannot be ascertained, as rescue and firefighting operations are still ongoing.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said no casualties had been recorded as of the latest update.

Its Director, Margaret Adeseye, said the fire was affecting up to the fifth floor of the building and that firefighting efforts were still in progress.

“The affected building is mainly used for warehouse storage and the sale of clothing materials, with some corporate offices and shops within the premises. There is no record of casualties at this time,” she said.

Emergency officials have urged members of the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue operations continue unhindered.