A massive fire on Wednesday evening gutted the Great Nigeria Insurance House, a multi-storey plaza on Martins Street, Lagos Island, trapping several traders inside
The blaze, which reportedly began around 5pm, affected a building primarily used as a warehouse and sales centre for clothing materials.
Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed that the fire started in an office on the fourth floor before spreading to other parts of the building.
“Upon arrival of the Shark Response Team, the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House was already engulfed in flames,” Oke-Osanyintolu said. “Preliminary investigations indicate the fire originated from one of the offices on the fourth floor and quickly spread. The number of casualties is currently unknown as rescue and firefighting operations are ongoing.”
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reported that no casualties had been recorded so far. Its Director, Margaret Adeseye, said the fire had affected up to the fifth floor and that efforts to extinguish it were still underway.
“The affected building is mainly used for warehouse storage and clothing sales, with some corporate offices and shops on the premises. There are no casualties at this time,” she added.
Officials have urged the public to avoid the area to allow rescue operations to continue without obstruction.
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