Fears rise as LASEMA hunts missing victims after Lagos high-rise fire

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has intensified rescue and recovery efforts at the scene of the devastating fire that gutted the Great Nigeria Insurance Building on Martins Street, Lagos Island, as fears mount over persons still unaccounted for.

In a statement on Friday, LASEMA confirmed the establishment of an on-site Help Desk to document and verify reports of missing persons following the inferno at the 25-storey structure.

The move, the agency said, is aimed at coordinating information from families who believe their relatives may have been trapped in the building when the fire broke out.

According to the agency, details provided by relatives will be carefully verified and compiled into a consolidated list of reported missing persons to support ongoing rescue, recovery and identification operations.

“Emergency workers will continue to comb the site to ensure that nobody is left in the rubble,” LASEMA said, stressing that search-and-rescue operations remain active despite the scale of destruction caused by the blaze.

The agency also extended condolences to families affected by the incident, describing the fire as a tragic loss that has shaken the Lagos Island business district.

LASEMA disclosed that it is working in close collaboration with health, security and other emergency response agencies to ensure a coordinated and orderly operation at the site, while maintaining safety standards for both responders and the public.

The Permanent Secretary of the agency, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, assuring residents that timely updates would be provided as operations continue.

Members of the public were urged to remain calm, cooperate with emergency officials, and steer clear of the incident area to allow responders to carry out their duties without obstruction.