Breaking: Panic as Fire Guts Tower on Lagos Island, Videos Trend
- Panic erupted as fire broke out at the popular Afriland Tower on Broad Street, Lagos Island
- In a trending video, some individuals were seen climbing out of the building through a window, in a desperate bid to escape the fire
- Fire incidents are common in Nigeria due to factors like electrical surges, improper fuel storage, and poor building safety
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.
Lagos Island, Lagos state - A fire outbreak has engulfed parts of Afriland Tower, a popular six-storey building on Broad Street, in Lagos Island.
The Nation and Vanguard noted the update on Tuesday afternoon, September 16, 2025.
Source: Original
According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the incident was reported at about 1.38 pm. Crews from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu fire stations were deployed to the scene.
In a statement signed by Ogabi Olajide, deputy controller general of the agency, the fire was traced to an inverter room in the building’s basement. Thick smoke rapidly reached multiple floors and engulfed the structure.
The statement said:
“Evacuation of occupants is in progress, while firefighting operations have been concluded, dousing the earlier panic before the arrival of the first responders."
As of press time, no casualty was reported.
Trending videos of the fire incident can be seen below:
Taiwo Oyekan, the chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, said he joined the Rescue team.
He wrote on his known social media page, with an accompanying picture:
"I led the Lagos Island LG HOD of Medical services and Sanitation workers to Afriland Towers fire outbreak scene on Broad Street to join the Rescue team.
"Emergency response personnel are presently on the ground to rescue and provide first aid medical treatment for the victims."
Reactions to Lagos Island fire
Meanwhile, Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter), are reacting to the fire incident at Afriland Tower.
Legit.ng captures some comments below:
Adeola Adeyemi wrote:
"It has to be mandatory that public buildings have approved fire plans that include detailed building layouts, a fire risk assessment, fire detection & suppressant systems, training, fire drills, emergency evacuation plan, escape route and equipment and many more. It should be a non-negotiable. More so, for high rise buildings, do they even have a fire hose reel on each floor? Or an hydrant around that facility? Such a massive building should have a secondary exit point.
"We keep saying no jobs when we can employ trained monitoring/enforcement officers in every municipality. With the amount of time these people had to respond the way they did, that building could've been cleared effectively.
"We must value lives in this country and not just always think about profit. We need to do better. Lagos State Safety Commission must rise to these obligations."
Ifeoluwa Aduroja commented:
"This is not life. My God!! This isn't how a country should be."
@MasterPeeZ wrote:
"I hope no one is trapped in the elevator."
Legit.ng recalls that earlier in 2025, the Federal Fire Service revealed that Nigeria lost 100 lives and properties worth N67.1 billion to fire outbreaks in 2024.
Source: Twitter
According to the service, 30,890 lives and properties worth N1.94 trillion were saved from destruction during various fire outbreaks across the country in 2024.
According to Abdulganiyu Jaji, the controller general of the Federal Fire Service, many of the incidents were caused by negligence and non-compliance with safety regulations.
Jaji advised Nigerians, especially operators of fuel stations, gas refilling plants, and users of gas cylinders, to adhere strictly to safety protocols to prevent avoidable disasters.
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Building collapses in Lagos
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that eight male construction workers who were trapped in the rubble of a collapsed Lagos building were eventually rescued.
The four-storey structure, which was under construction, gave way in the night.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
