A fire outbreak on Wednesday gutted parts of the Great Nigeria Insurance House, a multi-storey plaza on Martins Street in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State.
The fire reportedly started at about 5 p.m. in the building, which is mainly used as a warehouse for clothing materials, with offices and shops also operating within the complex.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said preliminary findings showed that the fire originated from an office on the fourth floor before spreading to other parts of the building.
He explained that the LASEMA Shark Response Team arrived to find the structure already engulfed, with the fire escalating to higher floors, while rescue and firefighting operations were still ongoing.
Also speaking, the Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, said the fire had affected up to the fifth floor of the building but confirmed that no casualties had been recorded.
She added that firefighters were working to contain the blaze and prevent further spread, while the cause of the fire remained unknown as of press time.