Fire guts Ecobank head office

Fire at Ecobank

There was pandemonium at the head office of Ecobank Nigeria Limited on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island Lagos, on Tuesday as the building went up in flame.

The inferno was reportedly ignited at about 8.40am when a tanker discharging fuel caught fire.

It took the combined efforts of fire service personnel and friendly organisations around to put out the fire.

Director of Operations, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Femi Giwa, said the agency was alerted at about 8.55am.

“At about 8.55 am, we got a distress call at the Lagos State command and control centre concerning an inferno within the Ecobank head office.

“We activated our response and mobilised our respondents to the scene of the incident,” Mr Giwa said.

He said officials of the agency discovered a tanker with 33,000 litres of diesel, while trans-loading caught fire.

“We need to appreciate the Lagos State Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service and LASEMA Response Unit, the Ecobank fire unit, UBA fire unit, Julius Berger and others for their efforts.

“We were able to contain the inferno within the generator area where they have the tank and the building, as I speak to you is in good condition and the adjourning buildings were not affected.

“Personnel and occupants within the building were evacuated within the muster point. We recorded no injury, no death and I speak to you we were at the dampening stage,” Giwa added.