The fire incident at the Afriland Tower in Lagos State’s Lagos Island neighbourhood on Tuesday has resulted in the confirmed deaths of seven people.
According to reports, the victims were rescued from the high-rise building and were sent to hospitals across the state, where about 4 had reportedly passed away.
It was also gathered that doctors are battling to save the lives of the remaining victims in the hospitals.
The incident was one of two separate fire incidents that rocked the Lagos Island Business District on Tuesday, which left several others injured and goods worth millions of naira destroyed.
At least six additional deaths have been confirmed following the initial 7 casualties announced from the fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State.
The victims were reported to have been staff of United Capital, a banking and investment services company that occupied the tower’s third and fourth floors.
This comes after the Federal Inland Revenue Service on Wednesday reported that four of its employees also lost their lives in the tragic Tuesday fire incident.
The incident, which reportedly began in the basement’s inverter room at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, sprayed thick smoke into the air and caused panic among residents, according to reports and social media videos. As firefighters fought the fire, some people were seen seen trying to escape through windows.
According to reports, at least nine people were pulled from the building by employees of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other emergency personnel. They resuscitated five, but left four unconscious.
“A total of nine victims have been rescued. Five individuals have been resuscitated. Several others escaped unhurt, while efforts are ongoing to revive the remaining four,” the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service revealed in a statement on Tuesday, raising concerns about possible casualties.
United Capital also confirmed that six employees perished in the disaster in an exclusive statement provided to ThePunch on Thursday morning bringing the number of deaths to 10.
“It is with profound grief that the Management and Staff of United Capital Plc announce the passing of six of our dear colleagues, following the tragic fire at Afriland Towers on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
“Our departed colleagues were an integral part of our company and family. Their painful loss leaves an immeasurable void. We extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones, and we continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers, as well as provide all the support we can to them during this most difficult time.
“We are making preparations for an appropriate memorial service to honour their lives and mark their passing with dignity and solemnity. We thank the emergency services and all those who responded for their valiant assistance at the time of the incident.
“In this moment of untold grief, we stand together in solidarity, drawing strength from one another as we navigate this period. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” the company said.
Some staff members of the UBA branch quartered in the building were also believed to have lost their lives due to the incident.
Although in UBA’s statement, there was no confirmation of the loss of staff, the chairman of Heirs Holdings, of which UBA is a subsidiary, Tony Elumelu, however, mourned some staff members of the company.
Elumelu called the loss “devastating” in the internal message sent to the staff on Wednesday, adding that words could not adequately convey the tragedy’s scope.
Emergency personnel had already verified that they had rescued a number of residents following the fire, which was thought to have been caused by an inverter explosion. Eyewitnesses and internal corporate sources maintain that “not everyone made it out alive,” despite the fact that authorities have not yet disclosed an official death toll.
At the time this story was filed, requests for confirmation from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency were not successful.
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