₦airaland Forum

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service hereby provides a comprehensive update on the fire incident at the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Building, incorporating the most recent briefing by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Following a second on-site assessment by Mr. Governor on January 2nd, 2025, the Lagos State Government has constituted a Technical Recovery and Demolition Committee, chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations. The committee is tasked with developing and implementing a controlled and safe demolition plan for the affected structure and its immediate surroundings in the shortest possible time, while prioritising public and responder safety.

Current Situation on Ground

- The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, alongside sister emergency agencies, remains fully deployed on-site.

- The incident scene is highly sensitive and volatile, with substantial rubble still in place.
There are intermittent pockets of fire, primarily originating from combustible materials such as textiles and clothing stockpiled within the building, not from the structural elements of the building itself.

- These materials are buried deep within the debris, and accessing them requires extreme caution and specialised technical planning.

It is important to clarify that:

The presence of these pocket fires does not pose immediate external danger; however, improper or hurried evacuation of debris could compromise the already weakened structure.

- The fire has significantly weakened the building’s foundation, rendering it structurally unsafe and unfit for any use.

- Some rubble may currently be providing unintended structural support, and removing it without a carefully sequenced plan could trigger a collapse, endangering first responders.

For this reason, all operations are being conducted in line with global disaster response best practices, ensuring that rescuer safety precedes all other actions. As universally recognised in emergency management, disasters of this nature may take days, weeks, or even months to fully resolve.

Public Safety Advisory:

- The entire area remains unsafe for commercial or public activity.

- The market and surrounding areas remain closed.

- Only authorised first responders are permitted within the cordoned zone.

- The public is urged to remain calm and cooperative, understanding that their safety is directly linked to the safety of emergency personnel.

- An Information Centre has been established at the site to address enquiries from families, stakeholders, and the general public.

Casualties:
- 8 fatalities have been confirmed (5 identified, 3 yet to be identified).

- 13 persons have been successfully rescued.

- Search operations continue, particularly in safer sections of the debris, to ensure no one remains trapped.

Preliminary Observations:

Preliminary assessments indicate serious fire safety violations, including:

- Overstocking of combustible materials from floor to ceiling with little or no ventilation.

- Absence of proper fire safety infrastructure.

- Unsafe market practices such as generator usage within buildings, shops constructed around transformers, and other hazardous activities.

Such conditions can lead to self-generated heat build-up and spontaneous ignition, even without external triggers.

Global Context:

For perspective, similar complex fire recovery operations have occurred worldwide. Notably, firefighting and recovery operations at the World Trade Center (Ground Zero) in New York lasted over 100 days, with underground fires officially extinguished nearly three months after the incident, and full recovery concluding more than eight months later. These realities underscore the complexity and time-intensive nature of large-scale structural fire incidents.

Conclusion:

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reassures the public that all actions being taken are deliberate, professional, and safety-driven. Operations will continue until ground zero is fully reached, all risks are eliminated, and the incident is conclusively resolved.

We appreciate the patience, understanding, and cooperation of Lagosians during this period.

Your safety is our priority. A safe rescuer ensures a safe rescue.

Margaret Adeseye
Controller General
Lagos State fire and Rescue Service
January 3, 2026

Antoeni:
President Tinubu is Yet to Condemn The Arrest of Venezuela President By US President Donald Trump,

Me : He Dare Not Make love-vendor

Kajaard:
Peoples life investments just gone like that. Hundreds of billions of naira worth of goods gone up in flames

RIP to the people that lost their lives in the inferno. Sad sad sad

laivwire:
In a country that makes sense, responders will set up camp on this place and work day and night to ensure survivors are rescued.

Even if it takes using a xray scan to detect movement and work towards surviving victims.

We are having victims calling from within the rubble for multiple days when your rescuers are closing for the day and going home to sleep.

A failed country is what it is and nobody in authority is willing to call a spade, a spade and take responsibility.

The frsc official the other day on Arise is asking journalists to call emergency numbers which he knows never work. Instead of admitting that this is a problem and correcting it so it works next time, they would let it slide until another calamity happens and then trend in the news again.

Emergency response is dead in Nigeria. That's a fact

Antoeni:
President Tinubu is Yet to Condemn The Arrest of Venezuela President By US President Donald Trump,

Me : He Dare Not Make love-vendor

Antoeni:
President Tinubu is Yet to Condemn The Arrest of Venezuela President By US President Donald Trump,

Me : He Dare Not Make love-vendor

Lanrelagboi:
UPDATE ON THE GREAT NIGERIA INSURANCE (GNI) BUILDING FIRE INCIDENT


source

laivwire:
In a country that makes sense, responders will set up camp on this place and work day and night to ensure survivors are rescued.

Even if it takes using a xray scan to detect movement and work towards surviving victims.

We are having victims calling from within the rubble for multiple days when your rescuers are closing for the day and going home to sleep.

A failed country is what it is and nobody in authority is willing to call a spade, a spade and take responsibility.

The frsc official the other day on Arise is asking journalists to call emergency numbers which he knows never work. Instead of admitting that this is a problem and correcting it so it works next time, they would let it slide until another calamity happens and then trend in the news again.

Emergency response is dead in Nigeria. That's a fact

harjay1986:
You people always talk as if you are God... Please the Gate to the so call sane country is still open kindly go there... In safety there is always a saying that you can only save a life that is safe able... And you can only risk your life if it won't end just now... Somebody is under a rumble and you want a fireman to go there, why cant you volunteered... At least you can receive calls from the victim... In a sane country you mentioned there is no fire Head that will commit his team inside such except they all sign dead contract... Yes life is involve but is there a way they can be rescue no... So why committing more resources to something you can't safely rescue Emotion is not allow when rescue is been don many casualty will be recorded....

Watching too much American movies they affect you

Dennisochampa:
Volunteers can do that too.... So if u go there and set up camp to help rescue the survivors, we will all celebrate you

laivwire:
At least I would be better than you who sits behind the keyboard giving suggestions. Talk is cheap.