At least 10 dead in Lagos high-rise office building fire
Seven-storey Afriland Towers blaze in Lagos leaves workers trapped; investigators probe maintenance and ventilation failures
At least ten people were killed and 25 others were injured when a fire tore through a seven-storey office building in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, on Tuesday, authorities said.
The blaze began in the basement of the Afriland Towers, a building that houses multiple commercial firms in Lagos' business district, Lasema said. The agency said the fire lasted for hours and thick smoke spread through the structure. Videos on social media showed occupants jumping from the third and fourth floors as the flames took hold.
Chukwuemeka Eze, a trader who witnessed the incident, told the BBC: "It was scary, some jumped from up there, many people inside were so scared to jump down, we got a wooden ladder to assist them."
In a statement, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (Lasema) said the fire, which lasted for hours, began in the basement where electrical equipment is installed. The agency cited several factors that worsened the situation, including a lack of mechanical smoke extraction, nonfunctioning public address systems and inadequate signage, as well as the building's design with sealed windows that hindered evacuation. The agency also noted that the facility and building managers inhaled smoke and passed out during the incident, leaving no incident manager or safety warden in charge. The fire, Lasema added, burned through the basement and spread upward.
The fire produced thick, black smoke that drifted through the building, complicating rescue efforts. Lasema said the fire was extinguished after a couple of hours, but the damage was already done and those inside faced severe injuries from burns, fractures and smoke inhalation as they tried to escape.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described the incident as unfortunate and commiserated with families of the deceased victims.
The Nigeria Federal Fire Service said it has launched an investigation to determine the causes of the incident, including the state of fire-safety systems, maintenance practices and compliance with regulations. The findings will be made public, and all recommendations will be implemented.
