…No Casualties, Damage Limited To Vehicle — Lagos Fire Service
A fire outbreak on Thursday affected a multi-storey building housing a Polaris Bank branch on Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State, triggering panic among residents and business owners in the area.
Videos circulating on social media showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the building as onlookers gathered around the scene.
Emergency responders, including firefighters, were deployed and battled the blaze to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures.
Initial reports had raised concerns over possible casualties, with some social media posts claiming that more than 34 persons were feared dead.
However, Polaris Bank dismissed the reports as false and inaccurate, confirming that no lives were lost in the incident.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the bank said the fire originated from a customer’s vehicle parked on the third-floor car park.
“Earlier today, a fire incident occurred at our Broad Street Branch, Lagos, originating from a customer’s vehicle parked on the 3rd-floor car park.
“Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and with the swift intervention of firefighters and other emergency responders, the fire was successfully contained.
“We are pleased to confirm that there were no casualties or fatalities. Consequently, reports circulating on social media claiming that over 34 persons were feared dead are false and entirely inaccurate,” the bank said.
Polaris Bank added that investigations into the incident were ongoing and expressed appreciation to emergency responders, staff, customers and other stakeholders for their support.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also confirmed that the fire had been extinguished and normalcy restored.
According to the agency, the incident was reported at about 11:33 a.m. and involved a stationary saloon car parked on the third floor of the 17-storey building located at 61/65 Broad Street, Lagos Island.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said firefighters from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu fire stations responded promptly and prevented the flames from spreading to other vehicles and sections of the building.
“The only damage recorded was to the affected vehicle and its immediate surroundings. No casualties or injuries were reported,,” Adeseye stated.
Earlier, efforts to obtain details from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) proved unsuccessful.
When contacted by THE WHISTLER, the agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, requested that a text message be sent to him, noting that he was attending to an emergency situation. He had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.
