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The death toll from the tragic fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, Broad Street, Lagos Island, has risen to 10, following confirmation that six employees of United Capital Plc lost their lives in the incident, News360 Nigeria reports.
This development comes just hours after the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) announced that four of its staff members died during the blaze, which engulfed the six-storey commercial building on Tuesday.
The fire, believed to have started in the inverter room in the basement around 1:30 pm, spread rapidly and filled the tower with thick smoke, forcing occupants into desperate escape attempts.
Videos from the scene showed terrified individuals climbing out through windows as emergency responders battled the flames.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed rescuing nine victims, with five successfully revived, while four others remained unconscious at the time.
In a statement on Thursday, United Capital Plc expressed deep sorrow over the death of six of its staff.
“Our departed colleagues were an integral part of our company and family.
Their painful loss leaves an immeasurable void,” the firm said, while pledging to support the grieving families and honour the victims with a memorial service.
The confirmation raises the official death toll from the Afriland Towers fire to 10. Emergency responders have yet to release a comprehensive casualty report, but eyewitnesses and internal sources insist that “not everyone made it out alive.”
