The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Southwest Nigeria, extinguished a fire incident at the Polaris Bank Building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, preventing what could have been a major escalation in the commercial hub.
The incident occurred on the third floor of the 17-storey building, which also serves as a parking facility.
The state Fire Service Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
According to her, the fire was reported at about 11:33 a.m. and involved a stationary saloon car parked on the third floor of the building.
She noted that firefighters from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu fire stations were immediately deployed to the scene to contain the blaze.
She added that swift intervention by emergency responders prevented the fire from spreading to other vehicles and sections of the high-rise building.
“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has successfully extinguished a fire outbreak that occurred on the 3rd floor of the Polaris Bank Building, located at 61/65 Broad Street, Lagos Island.
“The incident was reported at approximately 11:33 hours and involved a stationary saloon car parked on the 3rd floor of the 17-storey building, which serves as a parking facility,” she stated.
The fire service boss noted that only the affected vehicle and its immediate surroundings were damaged in the incident.
She confirmed that no casualties or injuries were recorded during the operation.
Adeseye added, “The only damage recorded was to the affected vehicle and its immediate surroundings. No casualties or injuries were reported.
“The firefighting operation has been successfully concluded, and normalcy has been fully restored to the area.”
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service assured residents of continued readiness to respond swiftly to emergencies across the state.
Reacting in a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday, the management of Polaris Bank said reports suggesting that 34 people died in the incident were untrue.
The bank clarified that there were no casualties recorded in the incident, adding that an investigation has commenced into the cause of the fire.
“A fire incident occurred today at the car park of our Broad Street Branch, Lagos, originating from a customer’s vehicle parked on the 3rd-floor car park.
“The fire was swiftly contained following the activation of our emergency response procedures and the prompt intervention of firefighters. We confirm that there were no casualties or fatalities.
“Reports claiming that over 34 persons were feared dead are false. and misleading. Investigations into the incident are ongoing,” the statement read.
The bank further expressed appreciation to emergency responders, staff, customers and stakeholders for their swift response and support.
The incident comes against the backdrop of previous fire tragedies on Lagos Island.
Recall that in January the death toll from the fire that gutted the Great Nigeria Building in the Balogun Market area of Lagos Island, Lagos State, rose to 10 following the recovery of bodies from the scene of the incident.
The fire incident, which occurred on December 24, started on the fourth floor and spread to the sixth floor of the 25-storey building before engulfing the remaining floors and adjoining structures.
A detached section of the plaza, estimated to be about seven floors high, had collapsed during the inferno, trapping traders and market assistants.
Source: Punch
