Chaos erupted on Broad Street, Lagos Island, on Tuesday after back-to-back fires gutted two major commercial buildings, leaving four people hospitalised and part of a plaza collapsed as emergency crews battled the blazes deep into the night.
The first fire broke out at Afriland Tower, a six-storey commercial building that houses a branch of the United Bank for Africa and other offices. The sudden inferno triggered panic among occupants and passersby in the bustling commercial hub, with dramatic scenes showing people attempting to jump from the upper floors while others were rescued using ladders by residents and volunteers.
Crowds watched in fear as firefighters struggled to contain the flames and evacuate those trapped.
Confirming the incident, the Deputy Controller of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), Ogabi Olajide, said an emergency call came in at 1:38 p.m., prompting swift response from fire crews at the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu fire stations.
“The call was received at 13:38 hours, and fire crews from Ebute Elefun Fire Station and Sari Iganmu Fire Station responded.
The fire originated in the inverter room located in the basement of the building, while smoke spread across multiple floors and engulfed the structure,” Olajide stated.
He noted that firefighting operations were concluded after the building was fully evacuated, calming the panic before the arrival of first responders.
An emergency responder at the scene said that he personally rescued two people from the upper floors.
“I brought out two people with my own hands from the top of the building, but when the firefighters came, we were asked to go out,” he said.
In a later update, the LSFRS confirmed that 11 people had been evacuated from the building, with nine survivors and five successfully resuscitated.
“Several others escaped unhurt, while efforts are currently ongoing to resuscitate the remaining four individuals. Relevant emergency agencies are on the ground to ensure crowd control and easy movement of emergency responders,” the statement added.
Just hours later, another blaze erupted at the nearby Central Plaza on Broad Street. The fire, which began around 7:40 p.m., rapidly consumed the multi-storey shopping complex and caused part of the structure to collapse even as responders battled to contain the flames.
Traders scrambled to salvage goods and equipment as firefighters worked frantically. An eyewitness said that everyone had been evacuated before the collapse.
“When the fire started, the traders had been evacuated before the building collapsed.
The collapse occurred while the emergency responders were trying to curtail the fire. I don’t think anybody was trapped under the building,” the witness said.
The spokesperson for the LSFRS, Shakiru Amodu, confirmed the incident but said full details would be provided after the ongoing rescue operation.
“We are at the scene of the incident. I cannot give details at the moment because the rescue operation is still ongoing. Details will be provided later,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact causes of both fires remain unknown.
