Rescue teams pulled another body from the rubble of the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House on Lagos Island on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from the devastating blaze to six.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, shared the grim update in a statement, noting that 13 people were also injured in the incident.
The fire broke out on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, starting on the fourth floor of the 25-storey building on Martins Street and spreading rapidly through the structure, which housed warehouses full of clothing materials, shops, and offices. A section of the high-rise collapsed amid the inferno, trapping several people inside and complicating efforts to contain the flames.
Emergency responders, including teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and others, have been working around the clock for over a week to search the debris and dampen lingering hot spots.Omotoso detailed the injuries: eight males, including one firefighter, were rushed to hospital for treatment, while five others – three men and two women – had minor wounds treated on-site and were released.
Among the victims recovered earlier was an adult female whose body was handed over to her grieving husband. The blaze destroyed goods worth millions of naira, leaving many traders displaced during what should have been a peak festive sales period.Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the site soon after the outbreak and ordered the eventual demolition of the unstable building.
Authorities have also mandated evacuations in the surrounding area due to safety risks to nearby structures. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, as Lagos continues to grapple with recurring high-rise blazes in its busy commercial districts.
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