By Ayo Kehinde
At least 10 persons have been confirmed dead in the fire that gutted Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, on Tuesday.
Afriland Properties, managers of the building, said in a statement that the fire started around 1:30 p.m. in the inverter room and spread rapidly, including through the emergency exits. Emergency responders rescued several occupants, though officials have yet to release an official casualty figure.
United Capital Plc, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed the loss of six staff members to the inferno.
The company described the incident as a profound tragedy, noting that the deceased colleagues were integral to its operations.
It pledged support to the bereaved families and announced plans for a memorial service in their honour.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) also confirmed the death of four senior officials. They were identified as Mrs. Ekelikhostse George (Assistant Director), Mr. David Sunday-Jatto (Assistant Director), Mrs. Nkem Onyemelukwe (Senior Manager), and Mr. Peter Ifaranmaye (Manager).
In a statement signed by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, the service described the deaths as a devastating loss that had thrown the organisation into mourning.
He disclosed that the Medium Tax Audit and Onikan Emerging Tax Office occupied the sixth and seventh floors of the building and that security officials had contacted fire services immediately the incident was detected.
Adekanmbi said the management was providing support to the bereaved families and assured that a comprehensive safety review would be carried out in all FIRS offices nationwide.
