By OLUWOLE FAROTIMI & LUKEMAN OLABIYI
Parts of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance Company Limited building on Martins Street located on Balogun area of Lagos Island were yesterday razed by fire.
It was gathered that the fire started on the first floor and spread to the third floor of the building at about 6:32 am and officials of the Lagos State Fire Services and other emergency agencies battled to put out the raging inferno.
To avert losing property worth billions of naira , fire services supported by the National and State emergency bodies eventually put out the fire.
The efforts of the government officials and agencies were complemented by traders, residents and occupants, some of whose goods and property had already been destroyed in the incident.
As the fire took its toll on the building, fire service officials, men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), police, health officials and others were at the scene of the fire outbreak battling to put it out.
Speaking with journalists at the scene of the fire incident, the Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said that a distress call was received at about 6:34 am that the building was on fire and his team responded promptly.
He said that the fire trucks at Onikan Fire Station with 10,000 litres of water were mobilised to the scene, adding that the raging fire they met ravaging the building was more than a 10,000-capacity fire fighting truck could handle.
“We had to call for reinforcement from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station which brought another 10,000 litres of water to fight the fire,” he said.
He explained that the fire servicemen also brought aerial ladder used in fighting fire in high- rise building to the scene to gain access to the affected floors, adding that the first to the third floor of the building were affected.
Fadipe said that the thick smoke emanating from the building also posed a challenge, but his men resorted to the use of breathing apparatus to gain entrance into the building.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Emergency Agency, Dr. Femi Osanyintolu said the building would be subjected to integrity fitness test by the state government to ascertain its structural integrity.
Osayintolu stated that the combined efforts of emergency management agencies contained the fire from spreading to the top floors and adjourning building.
Parts of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance Company Limited building on Martins Street located on Balogun area of Lagos Island were yesterday razed by fire.
It was gathered that the fire started on the first floor and spread to the third floor of the building at about 6:32 am and officials of the Lagos State Fire Services and other emergency agencies battled to put out the raging inferno.
To avert losing property worth billions of naira , fire services supported by the National and State emergency bodies eventually put out the fire.
The efforts of the government officials and agencies were complemented by traders, residents and occupants, some of whose goods and property had already been destroyed in the incident.
As the fire took its toll on the building, fire service officials, men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), police, health officials and others were at the scene of the fire outbreak battling to put it out.
Speaking with journalists at the scene of the fire incident, the Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said that a distress call was received at about 6:34 am that the building was on fire and his team responded promptly.
He said that the fire trucks at Onikan Fire Station with 10,000 litres of water were mobilised to the scene, adding that the raging fire they met ravaging the building was more than a 10,000-capacity fire fighting truck could handle.
“We had to call for reinforcement from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station which brought another 10,000 litres of water to fight the fire,” he said.
He explained that the fire servicemen also brought aerial ladder used in fighting fire in high- rise building to the scene to gain access to the affected floors, adding that the first to the third floor of the building were affected.
Fadipe said that the thick smoke emanating from the building also posed a challenge, but his men resorted to the use of breathing apparatus to gain entrance into the building.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Emergency Agency, Dr. Femi Osanyintolu said the building would be subjected to integrity fitness test by the state government to ascertain its structural integrity.
Osayintolu stated that the combined efforts of emergency management agencies contained the fire from spreading to the top floors and adjourning building.
