Two Bodies Recovered from Rubble of Lagos Fire Scene

Two adult males have been recovered dead from the debris of the Great Nigeria Insurance House Plaza, which was ravaged by fire in the Balogun Market area of Lagos Island, Lagos State.

Earlier reports indicated that the fire broke out on the fourth floor and spread to the sixth floor of the 25-storey building before consuming other floors and nearby structures.

During the inferno, a detached portion of the plaza collapsed, leaving several traders trapped beneath the rubble.

A Lagos State Emergency Management Agency official, who spoke on Friday under the condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation, confirmed that the bodies were recovered amid ongoing search and rescue operations.

“We recovered two bodies today. The first body was recovered at about 11:03am, while the second was found at about 12:03pm,” the official said.

A video obtained by PUNCH Online captured the moment the bodies were retrieved and placed into body bags at the scene.

While the identities of the deceased have not been formally confirmed, a trader, Zacchaeus Afolayan, disclosed that one of the victims was a market assistant caught during the incident.

“One of them was identified as one of the boys assisting traders in the market. He was helping traders to move out their goods when the building collapsed on him,” he said.

Despite the recovery, concerns remain that more traders could still be trapped under the collapsed section of the plaza.

Among those feared missing is a China-based cloth merchant, identified simply as Obum, alongside other traders.

Afolayan earlier told reporters on Thursday that Obum was in the process of evacuating his merchandise when the structure gave way.

“Obum’s store is behind the plaza. He had already evacuated almost all his goods when the fire was spreading and went back to carry the last ones. That was when the detached part of the plaza, which had been weakened by the fire, collapsed on his store,” he said.

He further revealed that Obum contacted him from beneath the debris in the early hours of Thursday, indicating he was still alive at the time.

“He called me around 2am from under the rubble, and that was when we knew he was still alive. He said he was not the only one trapped there. He was begging us not to allow him die, saying no one would take care of his children. He is based in China and only comes home during festive periods to do business,” Afolayan said.

According to Afolayan, who also operates a shop in the market, Obum—an indigene of Umuoji in Anambra State—called again later on Thursday but sounded increasingly weak.

Another trader, identified simply as Charles, said at least two other traders were believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

“As I speak with you, two people have called from under the rubble. The relatives of one of them just arrived from Onitsha after he called to say he was trapped. Another man also said his brother called him, including one Obum,” he added.

Fire outbreaks have remained a recurring challenge in Lagos Island markets, with goods worth millions of naira lost annually to such incidents.