Blaze destroys Lagos hotel

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency successfully contained a fire at Purple Crown Hotel, located on Balogun Street, along Awolowo Road, Ikeja, Lagos, with no casualties reported, according to the agency's response team.

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The fire incident, which occurred at 9:52 am, affected a room on the first floor of the hotel, as disclosed by LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Saturday.

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Dr Oke-Osanyintolu stated that the agency's Tiger Squad, in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Nigeria Police, arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of receiving the distress call, promptly initiating response efforts.

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Upon arrival, responders found that a room on the first floor of the hotel had suffered severe fire damage, with preliminary investigation suggesting that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical fault within the affected room, according to Dr Oke-Osanyintolu.

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The incident resulted in significant fire and smoke damage to a section of the building, but fortunately, there was no loss of life or injury, and all hotel guests and staff were safely evacuated to a designated muster point.

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A roll call was conducted under the supervision of the response team and police officers to account for all occupants and confirm their safety, with the statement noting that there was no loss of life and no injury recorded during the incident.

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The fire was brought under control and completely extinguished through the joint efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the police, with the operation focused on containing the fire and preventing further spread to adjoining rooms.

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Following the incident, access to the entire building was restricted as a precaution due to the volume of smoke and the extent of the fire damage, with the affected section of the hotel remaining cordoned off pending a detailed structural and electrical integrity assessment.

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The situation was reported to be fully under control, with the fire extinguished and the immediate danger neutralised, and normal operations will only resume upon clearance from safety officials, according to Dr Oke-Osanyintolu.

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Dr Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their speed, professionalism, and inter-agency collaboration during the operation, which prevented escalation and protected lives and property.

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The PS urged hotel operators, facility managers, and business owners to prioritise regular electrical maintenance, install and service fire suppression equipment, and ensure that staff were trained on emergency evacuation procedures, emphasizing that compliance with the Lagos State Safety Commission guidelines remains non-negotiable.

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Dr Oke-Osanyintolu also urged members of the public to remain calm and report emergencies promptly through the Lagos State emergency toll-free lines: 112, 767 or 08000 112 112.

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On a separate note, LASEMA responded to fire outbreaks in Igando and Anifowoshe, Ikeja, on Monday, with no loss of life recorded in either incident, as reported by PUNCH Online.

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According to Dr Oke-Osanyintolu, response teams attended to multiple emergency incidents across the state between Sunday evening and the early hours of Monday, including the first fire at 23 Shaba Ojo Street, near Omolade Bus Stop, Igando, which occurred at about 7:37 pm on Sunday.

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The second fire incident was reported at about 11:30 pm at 61 Abeokuta Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja, with Dr Oke-Osanyintolu providing updates on the agency's response efforts.