Panic gripped broad street on the Lagos Island on Tuesday after a fire broke out at Afriland Tower.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) said the blaze started in the inverter room located in the basement of the building before thick smoke spread to other floors.
No casualties have been reported as of press time.
Ogabi Olajide, deputy controller general of the service, said an emergency call came in at 1:38 pm and firefighters from Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu stations were immediately deployed.
“The Fire originated in the inverter room located in the basement of the building while smoke has spread across multiple floors and engulfed the structure,” the service wrote on X.
“Evacuation of occupants is in progress, while firefighting operations has been concluded dousing the earlier panic before the arrival of the first responders.”
Eyewitnesses said workers and visitors fled the high-rise as smoke poured from inside.
No casualties had been reported as of press time, but LSFRS officials said checks were ongoing to assess the extent of the damage.
The six-storey building is one of Lagos Island’s busiest landmarks, housing a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and other businesses.
In july, the Lagos fire service said it responded to 1,072 emergency incidents, rescued 252 persons, with 62 fatalities from January to June 2025.
Maria Fadairo, LSFRS senior public affairs officer, said there were 922 fire outbreaks, 73 rescue operations, with 65 salvage-related emergencies during the period.
