Two adult males bodies, who are yet to be identified, have been found under the debris of the Great Nigeria Insurance House on Lagos Island, following the devastating fire that swept through the high-rise building on Thursday.
During ongoing search and rescue efforts at the Marina axis, where the multi-story building was seriously damaged by the fire, the remains were found on Friday.
According to the sources, the fire started on the fourth floor of the 25-story building, moved up to the sixth floor, and then spread to other levels and surrounding buildings.
A portion of the structure allegedly collapsed during the incident, trapping some traders under the debris.
The Old Lagos Central Mosque and other nearby houses were also affected by the fire.
As of the time of publication, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, or LASEMA, has not responded to requests for official confirmation.
The two bodies were found amid ongoing operations to find people thought to have been trapped, according to a LASEMA officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Two bodies were recovered today during the search exercise. The first was found at about 11:03 a.m., while the second was recovered around 12:03 p.m.,” the official disclosed.
Emergency services are reportedly still conducting search, recovery, and safety operations at the location in an effort to account for all impacted individuals and stop additional dangers.
