How a Basement Inverter Sparked Fire That Killed 10 at Afriland Towers

At least ten lives have now been confirmed lost in the tragic fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial complex on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

Six of the victims were staff members of United Capital Plc, an investment and financial services company occupying the 3rd and 4th floors of the tower. Their deaths were confirmed in a Thursday morning statement by the firm, just hours after the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) announced that four of its staff had also perished in the inferno.

The fire, which reportedly broke out in the inverter room at the basement around 1:30 pm on Tuesday, September 16, sent thick smoke into the air and forced occupants to scramble for safety. Some individuals were seen attempting to escape through windows, while emergency responders battled the blaze.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, and other first responders evacuated at least nine persons from the building. Five were revived, while four others remained unconscious.

Confirming its loss, United Capital described the incident as a tragedy that has left an “immeasurable void” in the company.

“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,” the company said. “Our departed colleagues were an integral part of our family, and their painful loss leaves an immeasurable void. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, and preparations are being made for a memorial service.”

Emergency agencies have yet to release an official casualty figure, but eyewitnesses and internal company sources maintain that “not everyone made it out alive.”

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, though preliminary reports suggest it may have been triggered by an inverter explosion.