The death toll from the devastating fire that gutted the Great Nigeria Building (GNI) at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, has risen to five following the recovery of two additional bodies from the rubble.
Emergency responders confirmed that the bodies were recovered on Sunday during ongoing search-and-rescue operations at the scene of the inferno, which occurred last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, another fire outbreak was recorded on Monday evening at Arena Market in the Bolade area of Oshodi, also in Lagos State, raising renewed concerns over fire safety in major commercial centres across the state.
In a statement issued by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the agency’s Controller-General, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, said the service received a distress call at about 5:50 p.m. reporting a fire outbreak at Arena Market.
According to her, firefighting units were immediately deployed and arrived at the scene within five minutes.
“Fire crews from Bolade, Ilupeju, Ikeja and Alausa Fire Stations responded swiftly and collaboratively to contain the incident,” Adeseye said.
She explained that the fire affected five 40-foot container shops arranged in two rows, bringing the total number of affected shops to 10.
The affected section of the market, she said, was mainly used for the storage and sale of clothing materials stocked in bales.
“The fire was successfully confined to the affected section and brought under control. There is no risk of the fire spreading to other parts of the market,” she added.
On the GNI Building incident, Source gathered that the fire reportedly started on the fourth floor of the 25-storey structure and spread up to the sixth floor before engulfing other floors and adjoining buildings.
A detached section of the plaza, estimated to be about seven floors, collapsed during the inferno, trapping traders, market assistants and customers.
Seven persons were rescued shortly after the collapse, while three bodies were initially recovered on Friday. The latest recovery of two additional bodies has brought the confirmed death toll to five.
A source at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) told Source that the recovered bodies were severely burnt and could not be immediately identified.
“One of the bodies was also mangled. The presence of goods under the rubble continues to fuel smouldering fire beneath the debris. What remains now is recovery, not an active emergency,” the source said.
Source reports that anxiety has continued to mount as relatives and residents thronged the scene from Sunday in search of missing loved ones believed to have been trapped during the incident.
Some shop owners disclosed that customers who visited the market to purchase goods were also caught in the fire.
“People have been coming here since Sunday looking for relatives they last spoke with on the day the incident happened,” a trader, Mrs Wunmi Olabisi, said.
Emergency responders have continued excavation and recovery operations amid fears that more victims may still be trapped under the rubble.
Earlier reports indicated that no fewer than 20 persons were missing, with relatives providing names and photographs of some of the victims.
Those identified include Elo Chukwu, Omeigbo Chuwuebuka, Omeigbo Chukwudubem, Kayode Omoniyi, Ikechukwudi Asobi, Murphy Aborinwa, Onyeka Obinwa, Mercy Ukamaka and Taofeeq Opera, as well as a trader identified simply as Chiding and two of his assistants.
Reacting to the tragedy, the Shitta-Bey family of Lagos, owners of the GNI Building, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
In a statement, the family said its thoughts and prayers were with the victims and their families, assuring the public of its cooperation with relevant authorities.
The family also stated that the building was adequately insured and pledged to restore the structure, including the mosque within the premises, while ensuring the safety of occupants.
It urged the public to disregard what it described as misinformation surrounding the incident, adding that updates would be provided as investigations continue.
