7 Hospitalized after major Fire Engulfs Lagos Island High-Rise

A major fire that erupted in a 22-story building on Lagos Island has left seven people hospitalized with varying degrees of burns. The blaze, which started on Christmas Eve, also caused significant damage to several adjacent properties.

The fire broke out around 5 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street before rapidly spreading to other levels of the high-rise. The intensity of the inferno prompted the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) to issue an urgent evacuation alert for residents and traders in the vicinity.

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In an update released on Christmas Day, LASEMA spokesperson Nosa Okunbor confirmed the extent of the incident. He stated that the fire had impacted multiple nearby structures, including the seven-story Radio Nigeria building, the well-known Oluwole Plaza, a local mosque, and other neighboring buildings.

Emergency response teams worked through the night to control the blaze. “Seven adult males suffered varying degrees of burn injuries as a result of the inferno and were attended to by the agency’s paramedics before being taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention,” Okunbor reported. He added that five other individuals were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

While the main fire has been contained, efforts are ongoing to fully extinguish it and prevent any flare-ups. “The adjoining buildings in proximity to the high-rise have largely been salvaged, and coordinated efforts continue to ensure the inferno is completely extinguished,” Okunbor explained.

He also confirmed that the fire at the Radio Nigeria building across the street had been put out, with crews now conducting “dampening-down operations” to ensure the site remains safe and to prevent the fire from reigniting.