10 rescued from Great Nigeria Insurance building fire, old Lagos Central Mosque torched
Ten people were rescued from a fire incident at the Great Nigeria Insurance House on Thursday.
This is just as the old Lagos Central Mosque, which is a neighbouring building, was torched.
Controller General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye confirmed the development in an update sent to Daily Sun.
This newspaper earlier reported that the fire broke out on the fifth floor of the 25-storey GNI building on Wednesday.
In Thursday’s statement, the fire chief said the fire has been brought under control.
Adeseye said, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue authoritative can authoritatively report that the fire at The Great Nigeria Insurance House is under control.”
She added, “The incident involved a 25-storey building, with the fire originating on the fifth floor.
“The building is largely used as warehouse storage and sales outlets for clothing materials, alongside corporate offices and a few retail shops.
“As of this update, the fire has been brought under control, with the intensity significantly curtailed.
“Firefighters are currently engaged in damping down operations, targeting remaining pockets of fire to fully conclude suppression efforts.
“10 persons, predominantly males have been rescued alive with varying degrees of injures and in stable conditions as operations continue.”
Adeseye disclosed that five adjoining buildings have so far been affected – two partially and three severely, including the old Lagos Central Mosque.
The Lagos fire chief said the service encountered operational challenges that affected its operational response.
She said, “The affected buildings are predominantly warehouses with poor storage practices, involving highly combustible materials, which facilitated rapid fire spread and complicated suppression efforts.”
She added that crowd control and accessibility also posed significant challenges for emergency responders.
“The conjoined nature of the building structures further aided fire propagation and hindered effective firefighting operations,” she added.
Adeseye noted that the service remains fully committed to safeguarding lives and property and will continue to provide updates as necessary.
