The human cost of the devastating fire at the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House on Lagos Island has become clearer, with recovery teams retrieving another body from the site eight days after the blaze began. The Lagos State Government confirmed the grim discovery on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, as search operations continued amidst the partially collapsed structure.
Latest Casualty Figures and Recovery Efforts
The state government's update provided fresh clarity on the incident's toll. According to officials, one adult female was extricated dead from the collapsed building. Two adult males were also recovered, while three other individuals were burnt beyond recognition. In terms of the injured, eight males, including a firefighter, were transported to hospital for treatment. Three males and two females sustained minor injuries and received first aid at the scene before being discharged.
Authorities emphasized that recovery operations were still in progress as emergency responders worked meticulously through the debris within the collapsed sections of the 22-storey building. The government pledged to issue further updates as the situation developed and the investigation into the fire's cause continued.
Timeline of the Fire Outbreak and Response
The fire broke out at the commercial plaza, widely known as the GNI building, at approximately 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. The structure, which was largely used as a warehouse for clothing materials, was quickly engulfed in flames, triggering a large-scale emergency response from multiple state agencies.
Olufemi Oke Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), stated that upon the arrival of the agency's Shark Response Team, the high-rise was already fully involved. He confirmed that the blaze originated from one of the offices on the fourth floor before spreading rapidly. "Preliminary investigation... revealed that the fire... quickly gained momentum, spreading to other parts of the floor and escalating upwards to the sixth floor," Osanyintolu explained.
Contrasting Initial Accounts and Ongoing Challenges
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, casualty figures were difficult to confirm due to the intensity of the firefighting and rescue operations. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service provided an initial account on December 24, with its Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, stating at the time that no casualties had been recorded.
Adeseye's early assessment also differed slightly on the fire's point of origin, indicating it began on the fifth floor and was affecting up to that level in a 25-storey building. The discrepancy in details highlights the chaos inherent in major emergency responses and the evolving nature of information as operations progress from rescue to recovery.
This tragic event adds to a concerning history of building incidents in Lagos, a bustling commercial hub where enforcement of safety codes remains a persistent challenge. The prolonged recovery operation underscores the severity of the damage caused by the combination of intense fire and structural collapse.
