A 103-year-old woman has died following a fire outbreak at a residential building in the Oyingbo area of Lagos on Friday.
The fire occurred at No. 8, Bola Street, off Kadara Street, after it reportedly started in one of the rooms and spread to other sections of the building.
Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency received a distress call via the 767/112 emergency lines at about 11:43 a.m., prompting the activation of the state’s emergency response from its Onipanu Base.
According to him, LASEMA’s Response Team arrived at the scene by 12:13 p.m. to find a residential bungalow with two attached shops already engulfed in flames.
The fire affected eight room-and-parlour apartments, one mini-flat, a self-contained apartment, six shops, and several household items, with losses estimated at millions of naira. The cause of the fire had not been determined as of the time of reporting.
Oke-Osanyintolu said emergency responders carried out a risk assessment, cordoned off the area, and implemented safety measures to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. The fire was eventually brought under control, while the remains of the deceased were handed over to her family.
He commended the coordinated efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and officials of Lagos Mainland Local Government for their swift and effective response.