Fire Guts Top Floor of 35-storey NECOM House in Lagos

Fire yesterday gutted the 35-story NECOM building housing NITEL’s office at the Marina area of Lagos Island.
The late evening fire, which started at the topmost floor of the high rise building was however later contained by the combined efforts of the state fire service and NITEL personnel.

It was gathered that rescuers from both federal and state fire services, as well as the police, battled to put out the fire.
The police were called in to provide an enabling environment for the fire service men to battle the fire  unhindered due to the large number of hoodlums who had shown their presence in the area.

Preliminary reports from the emergency workers who  finally doused the raging flames at about 7p.m, revealed that the immediate response saved the day.

THISDAY gathered that the fire was put out before it did extensive damage to the offices located on the affected floor.
The Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-west, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the fire outbreak.

He said: “We received the alert and we immediately swung into action. Fire service men from both the federal and state governments arrived at the place almost the same time.

“Policemen from Lion Building were also on ground to provide security. The fire was later put out. There was no casualty from the inse.”
Also confirming the incident, the Lagos State Fire Service Director, Rasaq Fadipe said they were called immediately the fire started.

In series of text messages he sent out, he wrote, “The NITEL building in Marina, Lagos is in fire now. We are on ground.
“The fire is in the topmost floor of the high rise building but we are in control of the situation now.”
This is the seco

nd time a fire incident has occurred at NECOM House. It was gutted by fire in the 1980s but was revamped several years later by the engineering firm, Constain West Africa